The Bono Regional Correspondent of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL), Biiya Mukusah Ali, won two awards at the fourth Bono Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards held in Sunyani last Saturday.
He was adjudged with the Best Report on Agroecology and Agribusiness and Best Report on Tourism (Print) awards for his outstanding reportage in the two specialised areas.
Mr Mukusah's recognition came with a tablet, mementos and citations, celebrating his contribution to impactful journalism and his sustained coverage of issues shaping agriculture and tourism industries in the region.
Other awardees
The Overall Best Journalist of the Year 2025 for the Bono Region went to Lawrence Yeboah Gyan of Wisdom FM. He also won the Children’s Advocacy and Health and Medical Care awards.
Other award winners included Precious Semevoh of Joy News for Climate Change and Green Transition; Claude Kumi Abisa of Media General for Tourism (Electronic); Daniel Bruce Dzirasah of the Ghanaian Times for Development and Mining Reporting; and Emmanuel Kwadwo Gyan of Sky FM for Best Radio Documentary.
Others were Edward Adjei-Frimpong of the Business and Financial Times for Business and Finance; Michael Sarpong-Mfum of Channel One for Education; Samuel Kumi of Service Radio for Best Morning Show Host; and Osei Kwadwo Laar for Best Newscaster in Akan.
In all, nine journalists were recognised in 14 categories, while the event also paid posthumous tribute to the late Francis Owusu Ansah, a dedicated member of the GJA.
Jasmine Akwaboah was recognised as the Only Female Participant, while Dr Leonard Victor Amengor and Charles Koomson received special awards.
ActionAid Ghana, the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF), the Bank of Ghana and Nsoatreman Community Bank were also recognised for their support.
It was on the theme: “Ethics, Integrity and Impactful Journalism — Essential Ingredients for Societal Transformation.”
Speaking at the ceremony, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, urged journalists to track public projects from award to completion to ensure that citizens received value for money.
He said journalists should keep records of major public investments, including contractors, contract periods and expected completion dates, and return to the projects to establish whether they had been completed as scheduled.
“When the date arrives, go back and check. Find out whether the work was completed and whether the public received what it paid for,” he said.
Mr Nketiah said such monitoring would strengthen the watchdog role of the media and enable the public to know whether development commitments had been delivered.
He said where a project was progressing well, journalists should report it, but where there was a problem, they should establish what happened and who was responsible.
“Five years from now, it should be possible for somebody to go into the archives of the media in Bono and reconstruct what happened to the major development commitments being made today,” he said.
He said the reputation of journalists built through accurate and credible reporting was more important than any single award.
Mr Nketiah said governments and political parties would naturally present their own versions of events, but professional journalists should establish facts independently rather than rely on the account preferred by either side.
He said regional journalism was important because many issues affecting citizens were found in communities, markets, farms, schools, hospitals, budgets and procurement records.
He cautioned journalists against turning allegations into facts simply because they could make attractive headlines.
Modern gong beaters
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, described journalists as the “modern gong beaters” of society.
He urged journalists to cross-check facts, verify sources and resist pressure to publish unverified information, while calling for closer collaboration between academia and the media.
