President Akufo-Addo has officially called the Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to back down from a questionable attempt to shut down several digital channels of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
In a press statement released today, Thursday, July 23, 2020, said the President issued a direct order to the rampaging Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to suspend the attempt to cripple the state broadcaster.
According to the statement, the President “…directed the Minister of Communications, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, and MP, to suspend the implementation of the directives given the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC)…”
This statement had only come after widespread condemnation and red flags raised by civil society organisations and GBC itself that the government was unnecessarily eager to interfere in media operations as its press freedom record dips to an all-time low.
The final straw was when the Nationa Media Commission (NMC) ordered the government to back down on the regressive plans for GBC.
In a letter Wednesday, the National Media Commission (NMC) said moves by the Communications Ministry to reduce three of the six channels of the state broadcaster and Crystal TV on the platform is outside the Ministry’s remits.
Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, Chairman of the NMC, said the Ministry was usurping its [NMC’s] powers.
According to the Commission, the constitution mandates it “to promote and ensure the freedom and independence of the media for mass communication or information” and also “insulate the state-owned media from governmental control.”
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafo said any development that seeks to deprive the media of its use of resources legally allocated to them compromises their capacity to serve the country.
Prof. Amin Alhassan, the Director-General of the state broadcaster had sent a distress call to the NMC to save the ailing state broadcaster from sure death being championed by the Communications Minister.
On June 26, 2020, Ms. Owusu-Ekuful gave the GBC a 60-day ultimatum to scrap three of their six channels on the government-approved Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) platform or face dire consequence.
“…The Ministry hereby notifies you of its intention to reduce the number of channels your outfit currently occupies on the National Digital Terrestrial Television network from six (6) to three (3) channels. This is to ensure that there is redundancy on the ational DTT platform which is currently at full capacity,” the letter ordered.
The Minister curiously stated that the GBC will be given back the lost channels, but cited the COVID-19 Pandemic as the reasons why that will delay. “Kindly note that upon the planned future expansion of capacity on the network, which has been delayed due to the current pandemic and the uncertainties generated in the global supply chains, you will be allocated additional channels.
GBC currently operates GTV, GBC News, GTV Sports+, GBC Obonu, GTV Life, and Ghana Learning TV.
Whatsup News has gathered that the order for GBC to shut down its channels is a clever ploy by the Akufo Addo administration to sell off these channels to a private operator with connections to China.
Highly-placed sources within the GBC have revealed the government has forced GBC to enter into a contract a contract with KBL, a privately-owned company by the JOSPONG Group of Companies.
Already, the Minister has directly hunted and closed down several media organisations over curious circumstances. Many of these organisations are linked to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
While closing down or disrupting operations of perceived dissenting media, the government was busy granting licenses to new media organisations that were clearly aligned to it. The latest is Asaase FM, which reportedly belongs to President Akufo Addo’s cousin and right-hand-man in his Kitchen Cabinet.