The Ghanaian Times Bono Regional Correspondent, Daniel B. Dzirasah, on Saturday won two awards at the 4th Bono Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards held in Sunyani.

Mr Dzirasah was adjudged the Best Reporter in Mining and Best Development-Focused Reporter for 2025.

The two award-winning reports focused on the need to institute a Gold Festival in Ghana to promote responsible mining and the more than two-decade abandonment of the Bono Regional Library project, respectively.

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Eight other journalists, including freelance journalist Edward Adjei Frimpong, who was recognised in the Business/Finance category, were also honoured at the ceremony.

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The overall Best Journalist award went to Lawrence Yeboah Gyan of Wisdom FM, a campus radio station of the Catholic University of Ghana at Fiapre, near Sunyani.

Other award winners included Joy News' Precious Semevor, who won in the Climate Change and Transition category; Claude Kumi Abisa of TV3, who won in the Tourism Electronic category; and Daily Graphic's Ali Biiya Mukusa, who also received two awards.

Ms Jasmine Akwaboah of Moonlite FM received a citation for being the only female participant in this year's competition.

Speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, called for greater support for media institutions to enable journalists to maintain professional standards and remain independent in their work.

He said media organisations needed adequate resources to employ and retain competent professionals to maintain strong regional newsrooms.

"Journalists should be able to build respectable careers without being financially dependent on politicians, businesses and institutions they are expected to cover," he said.

The Chairperson of the Bono Regional GJA, Regina Benneh Siaw, in her welcome address, called for urgent action to avert the growing incidence of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in the Bono Region.

She said the destruction of water bodies, forests, rivers and farmlands through illegal mining posed a serious threat to the region's future and required proactive measures from traditional authorities, state institutions, security agencies and other stakeholders.

The Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboah, also acknowledged the media's key role in advancing the development agenda of the country.

Other dignitaries at the ceremony included the Member of Parliament for Banda and Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Ahmed Ibrahim; the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Eric Adjei; and the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, Vincent Antwi Adjei, among others.