Cape Coast-Ghana, Jan 22, GNA – The Ghana News Agency (GNA) has been adjudged the best Media House for the year 2022 at the third edition of the Osabarimba Royal Awards held on Saturday in Cape Coast.
The Agency was crowned for its timeliness, reliability and accuracy in news reporting from Cape Coast and its environs, which has made it a reference point for development, tourism and hospitality promotion and political news, among others.
GNA is also highly recognised by many government institutions and academia for its credibility and accurate news coverage.
The Osabarimba Royal Awards instituted by Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, Oguaamanhen, is held annually by the Oguaa Traditional Council in partnership with the Ridge Royal Hotel to recognise the contributions of businesses, institutions and individuals to the development of the ancient City.
The event also seeks to promote businesses, individual initiatives and indigenous activities which are projecting the image of Oguaaman and create a networking platform for major industry players.
The event held on the theme: “Making Cape Coast Great Again” was sponsored by the Ridge Royal Hotel with support from Mamdev Ghana Limited, a Ghanaian civil engineering and construction company.
The ceremony was full of glitz with a touch of royalty bringing together tradition, culture, technocrats, business personalities, government and non-governmental organisations, and students to celebrate at the Emintsimadze Palace, the seat of the Oguaamanhen.
In all, 54 individuals and organisations were awarded in eleven categories including Media, Tourism, Health, Business, Banking and Finance and Education.
The rest were Beverages, Social Development, Religion, Indigenous organisation, and Entertainment and Fashion as well as some honorary awards.
Other awardees on the day included Mrs Betty Ewuradwoa Djokoto, former headmistress of Wesley Girls High School Most Outstanding Personality in Education; Dr Seth Adu, a retired obstetrics and gynaecology specialist, Most Outstanding Health Personnel; Richard Kwadwo Nyarko of Joy News, Most Outstanding Media Personality of the year; Citi TV and Citi Radio, Organisation Promoting Cape Coast to Tourists; and Hutchland City, Most innovative Business.
All awardees received plaques and citations recognising and commending their efforts.
Osabarimba Kwesi Atta observed that the awards, since inception, had yielded significant results with more organised institutions, businesses and the media embracing and contributing in various ways to nurse its success.
He applauded the awardees for their outstanding efforts and urged them to be relentless in returning Cape Coast to its glorious state.
Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI, Paramount Chief, Assin Owirenkyi Traditional Area who was given an honorary award as the best leader on health promotion, commended the Oguaamanhen for instituting the awards, describing it as a great concept for development.
“I will replicate it in my area because that is how you develop; by copying. If you are not willing to admit your shortcomings and learn from those doing it better, you are in trouble. You can only be ignorant once,” he said.
He further expressed disquiet over the increasing demonisation and neglect of the Ghanaian customs and traditions, which were fast being replaced with foreign practices.
He urged all Ghanaians to embrace and practice their culture regardless of their religious beliefs, insisting that the country’s customs and traditions were not evil.
For her part, Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, in a speech read on her behalf, urged all stakeholders to position themselves to take full advantage of resources and opportunities in the region to lift the image of industry in the region.
“We encourage the industry to deliver positive and unforgettable service experiences to clients by embracing the highest standards of service excellence to ensure customer delight,” she said.
