Graphic launches Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regional newspaper

The Deputy Ashanti Regionl Minister, Mr Osei Assibey-Antwi, has launched a regional newspaper for the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions being published by the Graphic Commmunications Group Limited (GCGL) with a call on the company to use the paper to positively influence the pace of development in its catchment area.
He observed that, effective communication was essential for rapid socio-economic and political development of every community.
He, therefore, expressed the hope that the new paper, Graphic Nsempa, would chart a course that would further underline the position of the GCGL as a strong leader in the newspaper business of the country.
The weekly newspaper would be on the newstands on Mondays and would concentrate on the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions.
It would be principally used to create a platform for all stakeholders in the two regions to interact and shape their development agenda.
The paper is also to be used to partner the people of the two regions to promote their traditional values, culture and tourism among other issues as a way of enhancing their growth and raise their standard of living.Picture shows (L-R) Elvis Ayeh, Acting MD of GCGL and GM Newspapers, Rt Rev Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, Anglican Bishop of Kumasi,Board Chairman of GCGL, Osahene Offei Kwasi Agyemang IV glancing through a copy of the Graphic Nsempa. This was after the launching ceremony.
Mr Assibey-Antwi said the people of the two regions and residents of Kumasi in particular were pleased that such a newspaper had made its debut.
He said he was very much aware of the contributions of the GCGL to the growth of the media landscape and its positive impact on socio-economic development in the country and that it was, therefore, not surprising that, “they are breaking new grounds in the media landscape”.
The Deputy Minister said the launch of Graphic Nsempa was quite significant and was a manifestation of the efforts of the GCGL in redefining its role in societal development.
“It is against this background that I wish to remind you as professional communicators to be objective in your approach to duty”, the Deputy Minister said.Dep Ashanti Regional Minister, Osei Assibey Antwi launching Graphic Nsempa.
Introducing the paper, the Board Chairman of GCGL, Osahene Offei Kwasi Agyemang IV, said apart from educating, informing and motivating the people in the two regions and beyond, the paper would later be replicated in the other regions as part of the company’s growth and expansion strategy.
“As a business entity, the company is constantly scanning the business environment to identify opportunities for growth and profitability”, the Board Chairman said.
“In doing so, the company has identified the publication of regional newspapers as a growth strategy”, he said and added that the project took almost four years to accomplish as tours had to be embarked on in all regions to key stakeholders about the concept and to take their concerns on board.A section of the audience at the launching ceremony.
The Board Chairman added that the project was now on a pilot basis and that it would be evaluated subsequently and replicated in the rest of the regions, which have been zoned into Eastern and Volta, Northern, Upper East and Upper West, Greater Accra and Western and Central regions.
Osahene Agyemang said the GCGL’s strategy of product diversification for growth had made it imperative to have a paper that regionally identified the concerns and the needs of the target.
He said the paper would act as the voice of the people in terms of business, social values, politics, which eventually would promote regional integration, which would embolden them financially and economically.Picture shows (L-R) Elvis Ayeh, Acting MD of GCGL and GM Newspapers, Rt Rev Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, Anglican Bishop of Kumasi,Board Chairman of GCGL, Osahene Offei Kwasi Agyemang IV glancing through a copy of the Graphic Nsempa. This was after the launching ceremony.
The Acting Managing Director and General Manager, Newspapers of GCGL, Mr Elvis D, Ayeh said the company had been organising health screening exercises in Accra and would soon extend it to the Kumasi Metropolis.
Rt Rev Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, the Anglican Bishop of Kumasi who chaired the occasion, called on school children to develop reading habits.
He commended the GCGL for its qualitative articles in its newspapers, wider news coverage and also coming out with a new paper.
The GCGL burst unto the Gold Coast (now Ghana) media scene with a daily newspaper, Daily Graphic in 1950 and followed it up with The Mirror three years later.
Three decades later in 1985, the Graphic Sports was launched. Subsequently, the Graphic Showbiz, the company’s fourth title was also published to take care of the arts and entertainment industry in 1998.
The Junior Graphic was introduced in 2000 to cultivate reading habits among Ghanaian youth, especially school children.