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TV3’s Portia Gabor awarded MTN Hero of Change 2022
• Portia Gabor displaying her award
Media General’s multiple award-winning journalist, Portia Gabor, who was recently crowned GJA’s Journalist of the Year, has once again added on to her awards list by winning the MTN Hero of Change award.
She was among 10 other people awarded the MTN Hero of Change 2022 on Thursday, November 24, 2022. The award comprised the citation, GH¢20,000.00 and the converted title, “Hero of Change.”
The journalist’s selection for the award was in recognition of her impactful reporting on COVID-19 at the time when the novel virus was at its peak and represented an existential threat all over the globe. The disease was then ravaging the world with several death casualties by the day but Portia placed her life on the line to interview a survivor to bring knowledge and hope about surviving the disease to Ghanaians.
Portia expressed surprise at the nomination and only found out on the day of the awards that one Yayra Ocloo had put her name out as someone who deserved to be recognised. She shared the experience of having to take extra care to avoid contraction of the virus while in the field and recognised the support of her husband and family who did not shun her even when she had been in the midst of COVID-19 patients, but supported her to persevere.
Portia dedicated the award especially to Fredrick Drah, the very first COVID-19 patient and the first survivor in Ghana, who was treated at the Ga East Municipal Health Centre. He overlooked the stigma suffered by COVID-19 patients at the time and gave her the chance to tell his story. She also dedicated the award to the frontline health workers whom she says gave her the access and the information at a time when the whole world was still trying to understand the novel virus, and there was no standard medication, with the modes of transmission still being debated.
Portia was full of praise for her crew and acknowledged the cameramen, Phillip Katsitiku and Prince Affum, as well as the entire management and staff of Media General who supported her work during the period under review.
“I feel humbled by the female pacesetters in the industry, Gifty Afenyi Dadzie, Dr Joyce Aryee…” who she says have personally congratulated her amid an outpour of cheers from the public.
The elated Portia Gabor has used this unexpected, but well-deserved honour to position herself as a mentor for up and coming youth who aspire to journalism. In her own words; “the result of hard work, is more work” in recognition of the journey ahead to make more impact in society.
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
