Though the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana does not explicitly recognise the media as an organ of government machinery, however, the media is regarded as the fourth estate of the realm, due to its significance and influence
Arguably, the role of the Ghanaian media in the sustenance of the fourth Republican Constitution for the past twenty five years cannot be underestimated in the scheme of our current democratic and political dispensations.
Over the years, the media has been very vibrant in its watchdog role by keeping successive governments on their toes through fact-checking, constructive criticism and serving as the main agent of information dissemination between the government and the governed.
Of course, exposing the rot in governments, since the rebirth of our constitution in 1992, to reduce corruption and hold government officials accountable is another significant role the media has played.
It is in view of the significant role of the media in every democratic dispensation that in Chapter 12 of the 1992 constitution, the framers made provision for media freedom and independence.
We do agree that there might be some excesses on the part of some media practitioners, but it is also an undeniable fact that on the whole the media in Ghana has justified why the framers recognised their role in the constitution.
It is important to state that many have often attributed the sustenance of Ghana’s current constitution and democracy to the indefatigable role of the press over the years.
It is also worth mentioning that the current media landscape in the country has moved from a stage of government controlled or state-owned media to a level of media pluralism.
In the new age, ownership of the media in the country has left the hands of strict government control to a level where individuals and organisations could all own media outlets.
This media pluralism has moved information insemination and dissemination a step further, where radio stations are scattered all over the country with at least one or two, in almost every district
This has brought governance closer to the people because the citizenry is able to hear about government policies, programmes and initiatives at first hand and make informed decisions about current affairs in the country.
The media, in recent times, has moved to a more localised level, where “Information Centres” have sprawled in every community and village to help in the information flow processes in the country.
We appreciate their role because they have become an inseparable part of the new media and contribute significantly to the information sharing process and channels.
However, we at the Chronicle have increasingly become alarmed about one significant thing that transpires at these “information centres” across the country
Our concern is about the fact that this new media has become the main channels through which “self-made” herbalists and all uncertified local medicine producers market their unapproved products to unsuspecting buyers.
We are particularly worried about the fact that the above practice represents a serious threat that could have dire consequences if not checked
For instance, one particular herbal medicine producer in his recorder audio clip, opines that gonorrhea is caused by eating of too much starchy food, a claim that is not scientifically supported
It is shocking to note that in another breath, this same herbalist claims that if one does not take his herbal concoction to cure an early gonorrhea, it could lead to HIV-AIDS.
This herbalist is not the only person engaged in these misleading claims, as several others often talk about weird things in order to get unsuspecting buyers to patronise their products.
Though we are not in a position to doubt the efficacy of any herbal product, we are worried about the rate at which these products that are not approved by the Food and Drugs Authority are sold anyhow with the help of local information centres.
We are, therefore, calling on the regulating authorities to as a matter of urgency see this emerging situation as a threat, which if not checked could affect the health conditions of people.
We propose that all local information centres must be registered with the district assemblies within their operational zones so that their activities could be monitored.
We believe that through this means, those who manage the centres could be brought under one umbrella and adequately trained to be able to appreciate the dangers of unapproved drugs
We also want to call on the Food and Drugs Authority to shift its attention to this new trend, where unapproved herbal medicines are introduced to the public for patronage.
It is our view that the authority could organise training programs for the managers of these centres and properly educate them on symbols and signs that would enable the managers to distinguish between an approved medicine or herbal product from an unapproved one.
This, we believe, would go a long way to streamline the activities of information centres in the selling of unapproved drugs and medicines to the public.
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