President Mahama, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to Witness Swearing-In of GJA Executives

Accra: President John Dramani Mahama and the Acting Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly-elected National Executives of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Friday, July 11. The ceremony will take place at 0900 hours at the Accra International Conference Centre.According to Ghana News Agency, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie will administer the oaths of office to the incoming national leadership, following the Association's national and regional elections held on Monday, June 30, 2025. About 800 members of the Association in good standing participated in the polls, re-electing Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour as President for a second term. Other officials elected include Mrs. Bertha Badu-Agyei as National Treasurer, Ms. Rebecca Ekpe as Vice President, Mr. Dominic Hlordzi as General Secretary, Mr. Mustapha Suleiman as Organising Secretary, and Mr. Zadok Kwame Gyesi as Public Affairs Officer.The swearing-in will see these new leaders officially take their oaths of office, committing to uphold journalistic principles and guide the GJA for the next three years. Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, representatives from the Judicial Service, and members of the Diplomatic Community are also expected to be in attendance, highlighting the crucial role of a free and vibrant press in Ghana, Mr. Hlordzi stated.The GJA invites all journalists, media practitioners, media owners, partners, and champions of press and media freedoms to attend this historic event. Your presence will not only lend gravitas to the ceremony but also demonstrate a collective commitment to advancing journalism in Ghana, he added.The GJA said newly-elected regional executive officers would also be sworn in on the same day by Justices of the Superior Courts. This event marks a new chapter for the GJA. The new executive members will draw inspiration from Article 3 of the 2004 GJA Constitution, which outlines the Association's aims and objectives. They will work to consolidate past gai ns and strive for an even more robust, ethical, professional, and independent media that contributes meaningfully to good governance and national development, the statement added.Meanwhile, the GJA Election Dispute Adjudication Committee (EDAC) on Wednesday, July 9, requested a postponement of the swearing-in of the elected Ashanti Regional executives. Mr. Zakaria Tanko Musah, Chair of the EDAC, said the Committee had received a petition challenging the outcome of the Ashanti Regional Chairperson election held on June 30. Given the ongoing petition concerning the Ashanti Region, we respectfully request that the swearing-in for the Ashanti Region executives be postponed until after the determination of this matter, Mr. Musah noted in an earlier statement.