Journalists Challenged to Champion APRM Course

The various speakers saw the journalists as actors to better disseminate information on APRM

Journalists from West African Countries present in Accra, Ghana for a three day workshop on Reporting Africa in a Global Context have been called upon to champion the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM course. The speakers, who were members of the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council in Ghana and Reuters Foundation, stressed the importance of the APRM in Africa and they saw the journalists as the best actors to disseminate the information.

Dr. Francis Appiah, Executive Secretary, Ghana’s APRM Governing Council giving a talk on an Overview and Challenges faced by APRM stated the need for the APRM in Africa. He said is because of a need for a bridge between Government and the Civil Society for development dialogue. Dr. Appiah said the APRM is a people centred process and the assessment of the country for the people and by the people using the four pillars of the APRM which are Democracy and Good Political Governance, Economic Governance & Management, Corporate Governance and Socio-Economic Development as guidelines. He said there have been misconceptions by some African leaders that the program is imposed by the western countries, but it is unique, he said, African designed and led by Africans. Adding that the process is voluntary and no government is forced into it.

Prof S.K.B Asante talking on Regional Integration and Economic Blocks and the role of NEPAD and APRM, he saw the need for African leaders to get together and develop themselves economically. He said Africa had poor infrastructure which couldn’t link them, reasons why the president of Libya saw the need in 1999 for African becoming one, having a common economy, bring about production to meet challenges, stimulate regional trade, etc. Prof Asante said it is disheartening that Africans trade just 11 percent among themselves but more with their colonial masters. Participants also explained how government in their countries places economic blocks through high taxes on goods coming from another African country than those from the Western Countries. He said the more they trade out of their region the more dependent they become.

On Reporting Africa, by the Reuters Foundation facilitator, Nicholas Kotch, he called on Journalists to write accurate reports. He said it is not about singing government’s song and the reports he said must not only be negative but adventurous.
Sam Cudjoe talking on Corporate Governance in Africa said it is the way corporations are directed, monitored and supervised. He said government has to promote an enabling environment and regulatory framework for business, good business ethics and accountability of Corporations with the critical players being directors and officers.
EFFA TAMBENKONGHO