The Western Region Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association has instituted a comprehensive health insurance for retired journalists in the Region.
The comprehensive health insurance package, totaling GHS68,000 has been borne by mining giant Goldfields Ghana Limited.
The current number of retired journalists in the Western Region is estimated to be around 20. Per the package, each retiree is entitled to a medical care worth the sum of GHS25,000 annually.
An elated Western Region Chairman of the GJA, Moses Dotse Aklorbortu, speaking to 3news.com after the presentation of a cheque for total amount by Goldfields Ghana, explained the health insurance is to enable retired journalists access healthcare without any hustle.
“The work of the journalists is fraught with a lot of challenges, sometimes life-threatening ones. Nevertheless, many remain unfazed in ensuring that the society becomes the ultimate winner,” he said.
“It is through the work of the journalist that now many communities have schools, CHPS Compounds and other social interventions. But ask yourself the conditions [journalists] work in. As the Chairman, sometimes I see the passion in a young reporter to work but then the renumeration is disheartening.”
He continued: “The journalist will work in these bad conditions till retirement and will still be struggling. So, together with my executives we decided to come up with something that we say is ‘for us by us’. That, we need to help ourselves because one day we will also retire. And so, we thought that health is very essential and therefore we chose the health insurance.”
Moses Aklorbortu expressed the confidence that the era where journalists retire and become
miserable is coming to an end.
“Moving forward the Association plans to introduce other initiatives to enable the journalist go into other ventures that will also create another source of income. We want to encourage them to go into businesses like pig rearing, farming, communication consultancy, PAs and the likes. So that at least they could be getting money from elsewhere.”
He applauded Goldfields Ghana for supporting “a worthy cause”, saying the company has demonstrated that it is a responsible corporate citizen.
Goldfields’s Executive Vice President-in-charge of Human Resource West Africa, Francis Eduku, said it was gratifying that the Association will think of supporting its own especially retired journalists, stressing that “Goldfields will always support and be proud of any initiative that will put a smile on an otherwise sad face”.
He observed that journalists have contributed significantly in shaping the narratives about the extractive sector.
“You have kept us on our toes,” he said
The maiden edition of the Western Region GJA Awards will come off on Saturday, November 9 at the plush Best Western Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi.
The night will honour journalists whose works have impacted positively on the life of the ordinary Ghanaian. Retired journalists will also be given their insurance certificates.
The theme for the awards is ‘Redefining Corporate Social Responsibility: Moving From Handouts To Legacy Projects; The Role Of The Gate Keeper’.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Western Region|Ghana