After two years of disputes and delays, the Members of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) will tomorrow go to the polls to elect national and regional executives to lead the GJA for four years.
More than 800 registered members of the Association would decide the fate of 46 candidates, out of which 11 candidates would battle it out for six national executive positions.
The Editor of the Ghanaian Times, Dave Agbenu, was contesting alongside Gayheart Mensah, a communications consultant, and Albert Dwumfour, the Head of Communications of the Tobinco Group.
The incumbent Vice President, Linda Asante Agyei, as well as the current Treasurer, Audrey Dekalu, both of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), were going unopposed.
The current General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah of the Wisconsin University, was seeking to retain his seat, which is being eyed by Akwasi Agyeman of the Multimedia Group.
The Public Affairs position was a two-horse race between Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s (GBC) Rebecca Ekpe and GNA’s Caesar Abagali , same as the Organising Secretary position, which has Mary Mensah of Daily Graphic and Dominic Hlordzi of GBC as contenders.
In the regions, Ghanaian Times eporters are contesting unopposed.
They are Kingsley Hope, for Ashanti Regional Chair; David Yarboi-Tetteh, for Central Regional Chair; Dzifa Tetteh, for Tema Regional Chair; and Kafui Gati for Volta Regional vice Chair.
Ahead of the polls, aspirants for the various positions were making last-minute clamour for votes as they have intensified campaigns across the country to win the hearts and minds of voters.
Although the various newsrooms have seen the chunk of campaigns, social media has also provided a compelling platform for the aspirants to share their vision with the voters.
Flyers, videos and images of aspirants with various messages have been splashed on Facebook and WhatsApp platforms by both practicing and veteran journalists.
The elections of the inky fraternity should have been held about two years ago as the four-year tenure of the Monney-led executives expired in November 2017.
Their inability to supervise a new election and their continuous stay in office set the stage for disputes on constitutional breaches and credibility of the voter register.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR AND CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
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