GNA celebrates 50 years anniversary

Accra, March 5, GNA - Ghana News Agency (GNA), the only newswire
service provider in the country on Monday celebrated 50 years of
service to the nation with the commissioning of a broadband facility
that would diversify and reinvigorate its products to the maximum
satisfaction of its clients.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of
Ghana, established the Agency a day before Ghana's independence with a
mandate to inform the public from African perspective and to bring
government policies as well as news about the people, their
activities, problems, needs and aspirations to the government.
Dr. Nkumah's confidence in the establishment of GNA, which was
conceived in his student days, was manifested in the statement when he
launched GNA saying, "I foresee the day when, in the press of the
world, any news item warranted by the initials GNA will find an
unchallenged place in any newspaper of standing wherever it may be."
The Golden Jubilee celebration which was under the theme;
"Retooling GNA to Make It as Relevant as it was in the beginning" was
climaxed by the handing over of 10 Nissan Double Cabin Pick-ups to the
Agency.
Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Information and National
Orientation, who was the Guest of Honour at a colourful ceremony in
Accra presented the keys to Nana Appau Duah, General Manager, GNA.
Mr Bartels said the Agency, in spite of the poor state of its
technolohy, equipment, furniture and general outlook, it had been able
to bring out quality products due to the high sense of professionalism
of its staff and management.
"This is an indication of how resilient, resolute, purposeful
and determined the Board, Management and Staff of this great
institution are to carry out their mandate in the face of seemingly
depressing challenges."
He said GNA had gone to the remotest parts of the country to
bring news about the people, "which was dearest to the heart of
government because it gave it a bird's eye view of what is happening
in the hinterland."
Mr Bartels said the government very much appreciated the role
GNA played in building a viable, strong, united democratic state and
would not relent in its support to it, to ensure that GNA was
re-equipped and strengthened to carry out its mandate.
He said the 50th anniversary of GNA was a fitting prelude to
Ghana's Golden Jubilee, which would take off tomorrow March 6, and
that the moment should be used to soberly reflect and reposition the
Agency to rise above the challenges to survive in the fast moving
world of information technology.
Judging by the theme; Mr Bartels said management and staff
were now prepared to embrace the public sector reform programme, which
was aimed at retooling the GNA and to enable it to access the
requisite technology, funding and other benefits to turn it into a
smaller but more efficient, self-reliant media organisation.
He appealed to corporate bodies, institutions and individuals
to come to the aid of GNA, the livewire of the news media and the stop
shop for news and information about Ghana.
Nana Rex Owusu-Ansah, GNA Board Chairman said he was happy the
government was responding to the demands of the Agency and
congratulated the staff for working hard in the face daunting
challenges.
Nana Apau Duah, General Manager, GNA said from the modest beginning
of three reporters and supporting staff, the GNA had grown to be
easily the biggest news gathering organisation in Ghana serving about
80 subscribers through the internet.
He said the Agency's mission was to contribute to the political
and socio-economic development of Ghana through gathering, processing
and dissemination of high quality news and information.
He noted that since independence the GNA was able to tell the
Ghanaian story the way it should be told by Ghanaians themselves.
Nana Apau-Duah noted that, Dr Kwame Nkrumah acknowledged the
significance of the Agency in 1965, eight years after he was
inaugurating GNA's permanent office by saying, "the growth of the GNA
since 1957 symbolises in many ways the gigantic strides made by Ghana
in its eight years of independence."
Mr Isaac Andoh, A retired Supervising Chief Editor of the
Agency, now Managing Editor of the Catholic Standard, who presided
asked workers to continue to blaze the torch of the Agency for
progress.
An exhibition was mounted to showcase the trials and
achievements of the Agency, as well as the various personalities who
played significant roles to lift the Agency to its present state.
05 March 07