GJA National Organiser Has Been Elevated To President Post Amidst Jubilation
Worker of the private media house in Ghana to attain that position since the formation of JGA in the country.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
The National Organiser of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Mr.Albert Kwabena Dwumfour has been elected new GJA President, who has been the first worker of the private media house in Ghana to attain that position since the formation of JGA in the country.
Mr. Dwumfour who doubles as the media
consultant and Head of Corporate Affairs at the Tobinco Group of Companies fended off competition from the Editor of the Ghanaian Times and former General Secretary of the JGA, Mr. Dave Agbenu, and a Communications Consultant, Mr. Gayhart Mensah.
While Mr. Dwumfuor polled 233 votes, Mr. Gayheart Mensah got 181 votes and Mr. Dave Agbenu had 142 votes.
Over 800 members of the JGA cast their ballots today, June 24, 2022, to elect the new national and regional executives.
The Vice-President position was contested solely by the incumbent, Linda Asante Agyei while Audrey Dekalu also went unopposed for the Treasurer position.
Mr. Kofi Yeboah was elected the General Secretary, beating a new entrant; Mr. Akwasi Agyemang of Adom FM.
New entrant Dominic Hlordzi of GTV won the National Organising Secretary race, beating long-time crime reporter and current Foreign and Supplements Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mary Mensah.
Speaking in an interview with journalists, the visibly joyful Dwumfuor congratulated the members of the JGA for voting massively for him to win the slot.
It would be recalled that Mr. Dwumfuor has expressed concern about the conditions of service of journalists in the country, stressing that “as soon as I assume office, I will engage media practitioners, media owners, and other stakeholders as well as trade unions to develop a roadmap towards enhancing conditions of service for journalists and media practitioners.”
He reiterated that stated that “I stand to reinvigorate JGA from the Local and Regional Chapters to National Levels, marshal the experiences of seasoned journalists to march forward as practitioners.
“The Albert Kwabena Dwumfour JGA Reinvigoration Agenda stands on the pillars of welfare and wellbeing of journalists; practitioners particularly retirees’ access to basic health care due and implementation of an insurance package that would cover areas such as health, pension, and funeral,” he said.
Mr. Dwumfour said the agenda would also ensure that the Ghanaian media landscape went through a transformation to stand out as a progressive association with professionalism.
He said a GH¢1 million JGA Welfare Fund would be established as part of the reinvigoration agenda as a welfare scheme to benefit retirees whose conditions after active service were pathetic.
Mr. Dwumfour who is the current JGA National Organiser said the association must leverage its relations with corporate Ghana and other relevant stakeholders to raise funds as seed capital to take care of media practitioners both in active service and after service.
“I believe in the concept of building a world that promotes a sense of inclusiveness, a world where no one is left out especially young journalists. “We need the proactive crop of journalists in this transformational and reinvigoration agenda to hold the fort when the veteran's exit,” he said.
He said over the years, there had been lots of impediments put in the way of media practitioners sometimes through clandestine policies and also the use of some media personnel against the good of journalists.
“JGA must offer all members irrespective of the media house they work for a level playing field with equal opportunities and more importantly contribute towards the needed facelift which is paramount to make JGA attractive and assertive national player for the general good of Ghana,” he said.
Mr. Dwumfour said based on the background of an industrious personality with a proven track record, “I am ready to impact to Ghanaian media practitioners the sense of partnership role with all stakeholders towards a new media paradigm for national progress”.
He said among the major pillars of the JGA reinvigoration agenda, would be the resolve to pursue the welfare of media practitioners, which would also focus on the safety of media practitioners in the field of work, and ensure that media practitioners work in a healthy environment.
He also revealed that under the JGA Reinvigoration Agenda the security of journalists would become paramount to the association.
“Our security cannot be negotiated on any grounds. We should be able to go about our daily activities without fear or panic. And we will make sure we use all the means and the connections to bring all the stakeholders on a round table to discuss so we don’t compromise our security,” he said.
Mr. Dwumfour who is a media consultant and a businessman as well as Head of Corporate Affairs at the Tobinco Group of Companies noted that periodic capacity-building workshops would be organized for practitioners to sharpen their skills and build their professional capacities.
He also pledged to introduce programs that would seek to bond members of the JGA, and rebrand the association, ensuring accountable and all-inclusiveness administration.
