Don’t create tension in conflict areas – Minister urges radio stations

Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, has urged radio stations in conflict areas to promote peace and unity through their platforms.

He cited Bawku in the Upper West Region where there had been tribal clashes in recent times and entreated the radio stations there to be circumspect in their commentaries.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah, at a media briefing in Accra on Monday to mark World Radio Day, advised the stations against using their mediums to fuel conflicts.

“As the world commemorates this year’s World Radio Day today, there was the need for media houses, who operate in conflict-prone areas, to desist from fueling tensions in these troubled areas and work to attain sustainable peaceful coexistence,” he said.

This year’s event is on the theme: “Radio and Peace,” with Ghana joining millions across the world in commemorating it.

The Minister explained that radio was a very important tool in the socio-economic development, noting that: “It is one tool that has helped in our democratic journey so far”.

Apart from acting as a conduit through which information was disseminated, radio had also helped in dispelling misinformation and disinformation in the public domain.

He said radio had the potential to bring people together and foster peaceful coexistence if used well.
Ghana is marking the day by celebrating what radio had done to strengthen the country’s democracy.