The Minority caucus in Parliament is accusing the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful of stampeding the work of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
The accusation of the caucus follows a directive by Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, MP, Ablekuma West, to the state broadcaster to reduce its six digital channels to three.
In a letter dated June 26, 2020 and addressed to the Director-General of the GBC, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said the decision was to free space on the national digital terrestrial television platform which is currently at full capacity.
“You will, therefore, be required to consolidate your programming in line with this directive.
“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 global supply chains, you will be allocated additional channels.
“Please take steps to implement this directive within 60 days of receipt of this letter,” the letter read in part.
But addressing journalists in Parliament yesterday, Ningo-Prampram MP and a member of the Communications Committee, Sam George said the Minister must withdraw the directive because the GBC is not under the control of the Communications Ministry.
Describing the move as state capture of the media, Sam George alleged that the directive was to free space for Asaase TV and asked the National Media Commission to intervene and let the Minister know that she does not have such powers over the GBC.
“The GBC is not an agency under the Ministry of Communications. This directive is akin to the Minister of the Interior writing to the Chief of Army Staff instructing him to release military men from the Fifth Infantry Battalion when the Minister of Interior has no mandate or control over the Ghana Armed Forces. That is the Minister of Defence’s remit,” he stated.
By reducing the GBC’s channels to three, Sam George said the net effect would be unemployment.
“Are you asking GBC to lose half of its workforce or retain the workforce and double the needed staff and pay for workers that they really do not need?” he asked.
“We believe that the National Media Commission (NMC) must at this point in time establish the fact that it is not a toothless bulldog and call on the Minister of Communications to order and rein the minister and her ministry in and say that this attempt to basically reduce the staff strength and efficiency of GBC will not help,” he charged.
In a response, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful dismissed the claim that it was to accommodate Asaase TV and that the decision was to free the spectrum for other players so as to raise money in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I don’t know of any application by Asaase TV which is pending before the NCA for allocation of channel on any platform.
“What I am aware of is that there is a huge backlog of applications spanning from 2017 when we took over so this is not a new occurrence but we are faced with a pandemic which makes it difficult for us to even complete the switch-over process because of the cost implications on broadcasters,” she explained.
According to her, all the 40 stations on the DTT platform apart from GBC and Crystal TV have one channel and so “has that affected their ability to transmit their information to the world?” she asked rhetorically.
The Minister urged the public to disregard the “alarmist” claim which she said has become a penchant of the opposition National Democratic Congress and its representatives in Parliament.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
