Ministers of state, Chief Executives, and Members of Parliament should invite media practitioners to contribute ideas before launching initiatives if they want to avoid criticism later, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has said.
Speaking at a networking event for women in government and media on Thursday at the Jubilee House, Mr. Debrah drew from his time as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to illustrate how early media engagement can guarantee support for policies.
The approach is simple: invite journalists before starting any initiative, explain what you’ve been asked to do, and let them play the devil’s advocate by suggesting what will work and what won’t.
“Anytime I intend starting any initiative, I try as much as possible to invite people from the media fraternity. And then I’ll tell them, Colleagues, this is what I’ve been asked by the President to do. If you were to be in my shoes, how are you going to run it?” Mr. Debrah explained.
Listen to their input, thank them for their contributions, and move to implementation with their buy-in already secured.
The result? “That way, when you start implementing it, you are guaranteed nobody will criticize you. Because they were part of it,” the Chief of Staff stated.
Mr. Debrah urged his colleagues in ministerial positions and other office holders to adopt the practice, noting that criticism becomes difficult when journalists have contributed to forming the idea in the first place.
The event brought together women holding political office and media practitioners as part of efforts to empower women in leadership positions and build strategic partnerships between government and the press.
Mr. Debrah told participants the objective was not just to listen to speeches but to network, make connections, and collaborate as the government progresses.
He referenced President John Dramani Mahama’s vision for women to take their rightful position in society, pointing to the historic appointment of Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The Chief of Staff recalled how Ghanaians celebrated Professor Opoku-Agyemang for breaking the glass ceiling, but what moved him most was her commitment not to be selfish but to stand by the door and open it for many other women to walk through.
“And I think that is what she started today,” Mr. Debrah said of the networking event.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
