NDC To Drag NCA To Parliament Committee Over Hunting Of Radio  Stations

The members of Minority on the Communication Select Committee of Parliament has vowed to drag the National Communication Authority (NCA) to parliament to explain why it shutdown some radio stations in the country recently.

According to the Minority, the shutdown of Radio XYZ and Radio Gold was not only political agenda of the government to indirectly gage the largest opposite party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), but an attempt to silence the majority of Ghanaians who air their concerns on government policies through those media houses.

Ranking member on the Communication Committee of Parliament, Alhaji ABA Fuseini disclosed this on Monday May 27, on JoyNews TV in Accra.

Early this month, the NCA acting on what it said was an enforcement of it's regulatory Act, shutdown two prominent radio stations, Radio Gold and Radio XYZ, for failure to renew their license.

The action of NCA occurred at the time the two radio stations were providing live coverage of a press conference by Council of Elders of the NDC at its party Headquarters in Accra.

The actions of the NCA were condemned by many Ghanaians whom felt it was an attack on freedom of the Media.

Other members of the public, believed it was a deliberate attempt to scuttle the NDC, especially at the party was having an encounter with the Media on the police invitation of its National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, to help in investigation of kidnapping of girls and fire outbreaks in the country.

However, speaking on "Upfront " a political program on JoyNews TV, monitored by Modernghana, Alhaji Fuseini believed NCA has more explanation to Ghanaians through Parliament as it action was in violation of freedom of expression and the media as explicitly stated by the 1992 Constituency of Ghana.

He said, as Parliament resume work on Tuesday May 28, from recess, the minority members on the Communication Select Committee would invite the NCA, using the parliament authority to come and explain as to why the two radio stations were singled out and shutdown.

Hon Fuseini who is the Member of Parliament for Sagnerigu, dismissed the claims that the NCA actions has no political undertone.

He believed the NCA, though has the independent powers to shutdown radio stations for non compliance of regulations, the action on the two radio station which are publicly known to be sympathetic to the NDC is politically motivated.

He contended that the NCA Directors and Management as well as Board of Directors are appointees of the President tainted with political colour and therefore questioned their neutrality in application of the law.

The Minority MP argued that the Director General of the NCA take actions on behalf of the President and that the mere fact that the authority is independent body does not really matter as there is a political direct operation with regards to all manner of decision taken at the NCA.

Alhaji ABA Fuseini further dismissed that the Minority and the NDC are taking such actions because the affected radio stations are affiliated to the party, indicating, "I will pursue same tangent if it was on any other media house."

He explained that since former President John Kufour era through to John Evans Atta Mills and John Mahama, no radio station was shutdown because it failed to renew it license.

In his view, the three former leaders of the country took into consideration that media play significant roles in the country democratic development, a reason why the former leaders under their regimes never took the decision to enforce the NCA law on media houses.

He noted that, "what is most disappointing is the fact that President Nana Akufo Addo who once led a court case on similar action during Jerry John Rawlings regime is allowing this to happened under his watch."

The Sagnerigu lawmaker reiterated the minority resolved to fight for freedom of expression and the media irrespective of the media house affected, stating that the NCA has the onus to explain to Ghanaians of its actions and inactions.