The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, has urged ministers, chief executives, parliamentarians, and other political office holders to involve members of the media at the early stages of any government initiative.
He said doing so not only helps improve the initiative but also reduces public criticism during its implementation.
Speaking at the Women in Government and Media event at the Presidency on Thursday, 19 February 2026, Mr. Debrah shared from his experience as a former Minister for Local Government, explaining that he always invited media practitioners to give input whenever he wanted to start a new initiative.
“When I used to be the minister for local government, there’s something I did that actually helped me, and I want to share it with you. Anytime I intend starting any initiative, I try as much as possible to invite people from the media fraternity,” he said.
He explained that he would present the planned initiative to the media, asking for their feedback and encouraging them to challenge his ideas.
“Colleagues, this is what I’ve been asked by the President to do. If you were in my shoes, how would you run it? Play the devil’s advocate and tell me what you think will work and what will not work,” he said, adding that even when he already knew what he wanted, he would carefully listen to their suggestions and thank them for their contributions.
Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah highlighted the benefits of this practice, saying it ensured that when an initiative was launched, those involved would have no reason to criticize it.
“That way, when you start implementing it, you are guaranteed nobody will criticize you because they were part of it. So, I wish you well. Make sure you put that into practice, so that you won’t get more criticism, because they contributed to the formation of the idea,” he said.
He stressed that involving the media early helps political office holders gain constructive feedback, foster transparency, and reduce public backlash during the implementation of government policies and programs.
