News
Nine-member committee named for 29th GJA Media Awards
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has formed a nine-member committee to vet entries and select winners for the 29th GJA Media Awards.
The committee is chaired by Mr. Gabriel Bosompem, a former Commissioner of the National Media Commission and former Production Manager of TV3 (Media General).
Other members include Mr. Kingsley Obeng-Kyere, 2012 GJA–P.A.V. Ansah Journalist of the Year and Senior Manager at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC); Madam Nana Yaa Konadu, a presenter at Peace FM; and Madam Theresa Owusu Ako, former Head of Radio News at GBC.
The rest are Madam Agnes Boye-Doe, Deputy News Editor at the Ghana News Agency; Mr. David Andoh, President of the Ghana Photojournalists Network and a photojournalist at Multimedia; Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Editor of the Ghanaian Times; Mr. Samuel Bio, Night Editor at the Graphic Communications Group Limited; and Mr. Jeorge Wilson Kingston, Executive Secretary of PRINPAG.
The committee will select winners across various categories for this year’s awards ceremony, which will take place at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi in November 2025.
Top prizes include the prestigious GJA/P.A.V. Ansah Journalist of the Year, Best Female Journalist of the Year, Komla Dumor Most Promising Journalist of the Year, and Best Student Journalist of the Year.
The 29th GJA Media Awards, to be held under the auspices of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, is expected to be a grand event, attracting both national and international dignitaries.
The GJA National Executive has expressed appreciation to corporate bodies for their continuous support and encouraged more organizations to come on board to make the event a success.
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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