Graphic launches Eastern Regional Spotlight
The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) has launched the Eastern Regional version of its new product dubbed "The Regional Spotlight" in Koforidua.
The launch held at the Mac-Dic Royal Plaza Hotel on Saturday, October 19, 2019, was to officially introduce the product to the people of the region including traditional and political authorities, and other stakeholders.
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The Eastern Regional Spotlight has been designed to give extensive coverage to the region in a bid to promote the diverse culture, businesses, and government policies on critical issues that affect the development of the region and its people.
The Eastern Regional launch is the third after similar ceremonies were held in Takoradi in the Western Region in July 2019 and Wa in the Upper East Region in September 2019.
The launch was supported by the Ghana Commercial Bank and the Mac-Dic Royal Plaza Hotel in Koforidua.
Goal of the Regional Spotlight
The Editor of the GCGL's flagship newspaper, the Daily Graphic, Mr Kobby Asmah, described the Regional Focus as an initiative of the Board of Directors to promote the various regions of the country.
"The Board of Directors, Management and Staff of GCGL initiated this laudable decision to create the platform to showcase the developmental issues of the various regions.
The first episode of the 16-page supplement was published in July 2019. It had 14 pages of new stories and 2 pages of adverts. The focus was on the Western Region. The second supplement which focused on the Upper West Region was also produced, published and launched in the first week of September. It had 13 pages of news stories and 3 pages of adverts.
"With the focus showcasing the development issues of the region, GCGL introduced 'The Regional Spotlight' to ensure that each region is highlighted to expose its potential for the accelerated growth and development of the entire country", he said.
"The goal of the Regional Spotlight is to give extensive coverage to each region by showcasing and highlighting it to the entire world with special emphasis on development issues including our traditional heritage, hospitality, tourism, sanitation, investment opportunities, health, commerce, agricultural and infrastructure among others".
"By this initiative, the GCGL is ready to use its scarce resources to let the voices of the vulnerable be heard loud and clear. To generate uniform development for all, the GCGL would also guarantee the maintenance and promotion of peace for accelerated growth," he explained.
Tourism and Culture
Speaking at the event, the Eastern Regional Minister Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour who was the Special Guest of the occasion lauded the GCGL in its effort to promote culture and tourism for the regions.
"I am grateful to the Board and Management of the GCGL for such an innovation which is slowly but surely bringing other cultures and customs of the different regions closer to us. We have all become tourists by distance through the reading of historical tales of places and watching of pictures, artefacts and other tourist sites all in the regional reports," he said.
He described the initiative as a 'paradigm shift' gunning to elevate the interest of tourism and its economic effects on the country as a whole.
"I believe the report on the regions is a paradigm shift which seeks to whip up interest in tourism and local Ghanaian culture. It is a good initiative that will project the cultural and economic potentials of the regions thereby attracting put people of various backgrounds to the respective regions for investments, tourist visits and other economic activities. We as citizens of the regions would, therefore, be the ultimate beneficiaries of this initiative. Tourism I believe is arguably one of our economic strength coming only after mining and agriculture," he added.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, Mr Isaac Appau- Gyasi, the Eastern Regional Director for the Ghana Commercial Bank, Mr Frederick Andoh-Bissue and the General Manager for Mac-Dic Royal Plaza Hotel, Mr Thomas Adjei, all commended the GCGL for the initiative.
Root Base Development approach
The Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Council, Daasebre Professor (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, who chaired the event, urged GCGL to use its leadership in the media space to rally other media in Ghana to promote the adoption of the Pan-African Root-based Economic Development Model as the Ghanaian Media Corporate Social Responsibility Response Initiative to combat poverty and inequalities through sustainable community development.
He also urged the audience and the people of the region to patronise the product as a form of keeping records and learning about their fate as a region.