We have never received money from Ministry of Information – Editors Forum, Ghana

The Editors Forum, Ghana (EFG) has stated categorically that the group has never applied for or received money from the Ministry of Information or any government body and called for the names of the people who signed for the money under reference to be published for the sake of transparency and for the avoidance of doubt.

The EFG, in a news release signed by its Chairperson, Ms. Ajoa Yeboah-Afari Wednesday February 24, 2010 in response to articles and discussions in some media, reportedly citing the 2007/2008 Auditor-General’s audit report on the Ministry of Information referring to some money 1.5 million new Ghana cedis or 15 billion old Ghana cedis which was released to the Ministry of Information by the Ministry of Finance.

According to the reports, part of the money was given to some people in the media and some editors including the “Editors Forum” to do propaganda for the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“As far as I’m aware, the media body of which I’m the Chairperson is the only one known as the Editors Forum, Ghana (EFG),” Ms. Yeboah-Afari said in the release.

For the records, the release said, the EFG was initially funded by the UNDP.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi