Some were good friends and others attacked me – Stephen Yakubu on media experience in Upper East
He noted that while some practitioners were supportive allies, others resorted to maliciously attack him, driven by personal animosity.
Stephen Yakubu, the outgoing Upper East Regional Minister, has acknowledged the role of the media in information dissemination and holding political office holders accountable.
Reflecting on his tenure, he said it is apparent there was a division in the media that gave him coverage. He noted that while some practitioners were supportive allies, others resorted to maliciously attack him, driven by personal animosity.
“You guys have been my friends, but some of you have taken me to the gutters. What I will encourage you to do is to keep an eye on us, but always make sure you verify the information before you put it out there. Because, in most cases, sometimes they don’t like you, and whatever they get, they put it out there to destroy your reputation,” he stated.
The minister said this at a media engagement in Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District when the Ghana Boundary Commission and its counterpart in Burkina Faso inspected some encroachment activities along the border. The visit was part of measures to find a lasting solution to the unending encroachment within the buffer zone.
Yakubu, who shared some memories of working with the media in the Upper East Region, lamented that reports about political figures that go viral and continuously stay on the internet are “very painful” to them.
While entreating the media to avoid sensationalism and take time to verify issues before dissemination, the outgoing regional minister cautioned against reports based on hatred as such reports could discourage individuals from venturing into politics
“As politicians, if you guys [media] are going to continue this way, I am sure it will come to a point that nobody will want to become a politician,” he pleaded.
Yakubu took over from Tangoba Abayage as Regional Minister in February 2021. On April 5, 2024, President Akufo-Addo reassigned him to the Upper West Region to replace Hafiz Bin Salih, who would in turn head to the Upper East Region.
Source: A1 Radio
