Our government is open to criticisms – Mustapha Hamid

Information Minister, Mr Mustapha Hamid has indicated that the Akufo-Addo led government continues to remain open to constructive criticisms and opposing views that touch on governance and development.

Mr Hamid said the move formed part of President Akufo-Addo’s vision to accelerate the growth of democracy and to propel the pursuit of an “all-inclusive government “where every Ghanaian would have the chance to contribute to national development.

The Information Minister was speaking with the Ghana News Agency on Thursday when he visited Radio Gold, an Accra based station to familiarise himself with the workers and to crave for their support in the dissemination of public information.

He assured that government would continue to provide an enabling environment for all media houses, including the Radio Gold, to participate in the dissemination of information on government activities irrespective of their political beliefs.

This, he explained, would ensure that public information reached every citizen irrespective of their geographical locations to help maximise feedback for an improvement in governance.

“Every Ghanaian has the right to contribute to the country’s development. But people would have different approaches to solving the problems of Ghana.

“President Akufo-Addo passionately likes opposing views. We disagree to agree, because disagreement is part of building a strong society,” the Minister said.

Mr Hamid, however, called on journalists to execute their work professionally, saying unprofessional journalism created hatred and conflict which hamper development.

“If government does something and Radio Gold sees it as inappropriate, the station must professionally criticise it. This would help us form a different perspective to dealing with issues.”

Meanwhile, Mr Alfred Tetteh, the Head of News, reaffirmed the commitment of the station towards adhering to journalistic standards and assured that “Radio Gold would continue to pursue excellence in news broadcasting.”

Mr Tetteh commended the Minister for the visit and pledged to work harder with his team to contribute to national development by serving as a watchdog on government and providing a platform for the public to express their views on issues of public interest.

“Governance I think is for the people of this nation. The media serves as a means by which the government gets feedback from the people.

“I am happy that the Minister has identified Radio Gold as one of the most vibrant media houses in the country and has visited us,” Mr. Tetteh said.