Mr Braimah Abass, a Communication Team member of the opposition National Democratic Congress in the Bole-Bamboi constituency says the National Communications Authority was discriminatory in its decision to shut down some radio stations.
Mr Braimah alias Prof Abass who was speaking on Yagbon radio weekly program dubbed “Round Table” on Saturday October 16, 2021, noted that the process leading to the shutdown of radio stations such as Radio Gold, Radio XYZ among others was politically influenced.
Since the decision to shut down a number of radio stations was taken, I have always said that the action was politically motivated. Starting from the evidence that was available,” he said.
The NCA’s 2017 audit named Radio XYZ and Radio Gold among the many FM stations that were operating against its regulations.
Radio XYZ’s license was said to have expired on 8th May 2016 and that of Radio Gold on 6th September 2000.
In the report, both Radio XYZ and Radio Gold were fined GHs 4,090,000 and GHs 61,330,000 respectively.
But speaking on the same program, Mr Abubakari Fuseini, a member of the NPP communication team in the Bole- Bamboi constituency says Ghanaians must be interested in protecting State Institutions carrying out their Constitutionally mandated duties rather than what undermines them.
He reiterated that the NMC did not act in a vacuum in revoking the licenses of Radio Gold and others.
“If some of those radio stations had met their obligations in 2016 they would not have gone through what they went through in 2017, irrespective of the change of the political party in government. And so as people of Ghana we must be interested in how we build institutions that serve the wider interest of the people of Ghana,” he stated.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has restored the radio broadcasting authorizations to Radio Gold, XYZ and 131 others.
The license of NDC affiliated Radio Gold and Radio XYZ were revoked over their refusal to pay operating license fees and expiration of their licenses.
The approval is subject to the applicants attending a sensitization workshop on the terms and conditions of FM radio broadcasting authorizations.
It said provisional authorizations shall be issued to the successful applicants at the end of the workshop and frequencies shall be assigned to the applicants only upon the fulfillment of the conditions of the Provisional Authorisation.
However, Mr Braimah Abass, alias Prof Abass thinks the closure of these radio stations in the country during the first term of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) had political undercurrent.
Mr Abubakari Fuseini however believes the action by the NCA has nothing to do with politics adding that playing politics with the future of Ghanaians cannot be the best alternative.
Source: yagbonradioonline
