The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has donated his Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) special award and Hall of Fame induction to Parliament, declaring the honour belongs to every member, officer, and staff of the House.
The GJA honoured the Speaker on Saturday, 6th November 2026, at its 30th Media Awards ceremony.
“I cannot claim sole glory for the honour done me. The institution which paved the way for my lifelong relations with the media must be credited with the award. Therefore, I have decided to donate this award to Parliament,” he told the House.
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“It belongs to all of you: leadership, members, the Clerk to Parliament, and all Parliamentary Service staff who daily oil the wheels of this institution,” he added.
Addressing the House in his formal communication on Tuesday, November 10, during the plenary, the Speaker traced his media relationship to January 1993, when he entered the House at the inception of the Fourth Republic and witnessed the formation of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC).
He said this informed his deliberate steps to facilitate the training of journalists across the country, irrespective of their media houses or political affiliations.
He credited the House’s backroom work for the honour, describing how the Clerk and staff prepare order papers, committee reports, and the Hansard “often late into the night.”
The Speaker was candid about difficult moments—including hostile headlines between 2001 and 2004 when, as Minority Leader, he faced “Bagbin must shut up” and “Bagbin’s ugly noises.”
“I would rather have a media that poses uncomfortable questions than one that sings hallelujahs and hosannas to us every time.”
“And I would rather this house be told the naked truth in unpleasant words than have a media that sweeps our dirt under the carpet,” he said.
Citing Article 162 of the 1992 Constitution, he reiterated: “While I am Speaker, I will not support any law whose purpose or effect is to cow journalists into silence.”
He pledged Parliament’s support for the GJA’s proposed private members’ bill to improve journalists’ welfare, conditions, and remuneration.
Bagbin stressed Parliament’s efforts to improve media access to its proceedings, including live broadcasts of plenary and committee sittings, better communication facilities and initiatives to improve working conditions for parliamentary reporters.
He said Parliament would continue supporting measures that strengthen press freedom and improve journalists’ ability to hold public institutions accountable.
The Speaker also endorsed the government’s GH¢10 million seed money for the Media Development Fund.
The Speaker’s recognition at the 30th GJA Media Awards culminated in his induction into the association’s Hall of Fame, an honour he said reflected years of engagement with journalists and his commitment to democratic development.