Stephen Yakubu, the outgoing Upper East Regional Minister, has acknowledged the role that the media plays in informing the public and holding politicians accountable. Reflecting on his tenure, Mr. Yakubu, however, expressed dismay at the apparent divide in media coverage, noting that while some practitioners have been supportive allies, others have resorted to malicious attacks on him, driven by personal animosity.
“You guys have been my friends, but some of you have taken me to the gutters. What I will encourage you to do is to keep an eye on us, but always make sure you verify the information before you put it out there. Because, in most cases, sometimes they don’t like you, and whatever they get, they put it out there to destroy your reputation,” he stated.
The minister was speaking to the media in Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District when the Ghana Boundary Commission and its counterpart in Burkina Faso inspected some encroachment along the border pillars. The visit was part of measures to find a lasting solution to the massive encroachment within the buffer zone.
Mr. Yakubu, who shared some memories of working with the media in the Upper East Region, lamented that some reportage that goes viral and remains on the internet is “very painful” to them as politicians.
While entreating the media to avoid sensationalism and properly verify issues before disseminating them to the public, the outgoing regional minister cautioned that if reports based on hatred of a person persist, it could deter individuals from entering into politics.
“As politicians, if you guys [media] are going to continue this way, I am sure it will come to a point that nobody will want to become a politician,” he pleaded.
Mr. Yakubu took over from Tangoba Abayage in February 2021 as the Upper East Regional Minister. On April 5, President Akufo-Addo reassigned him to the Upper West Region and moved his counterpart, Hafiz Bin Salih, from the Upper West Region to the Upper East Region with immediate effect.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Joshua Asaah|Paga|Ghana
