The minister-designate for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-ekuful, has indicated after almost two years since the closure of about 57 radio stations that the exercise was not done based on political affiliations or ownership.
Taking her turn at the Appointments Committee to be vetted for her new ministerial position, these and other issues were some of the interrogations she had to answer to. Few minutes after the vetting, the minister-designate seemed to have more to share on her social media walls.
“I had no idea of the political affiliations or ownership of many of these stations. I believe the chairman’s station also suffered from the exercise. It couldn’t have been selective, discriminative or unfair treatment. Unfortunately, in enforcing the law, one has no way of knowing where the chips will fall. Nobody could have touched any media house if they hadn’t acted in contravention of the law,” the minister-designate for Communication and Digitalization posted on her Facebook Wall.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) which operates under the Ministry of Communications closed down 57 radio stations for various infractions.
“In accordance with the decisions of the Electronic Communication Tribunal (ECT), 30 out of the 57 stations have submitted fresh applications for FM authorisations, out of which 15 have been processed.
“The applications for the remaining15 FM stations are still being processed and the outcomes will be communicated to them after they have gone through all the requisite processes, which include technical review, management review and board approval,” she had said at a press briefing.
Following the closure, there have been several agitations from media owners, journalists as well as Civil Society Organizations such as the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to reinstate these radio stations saying the NCA’s actions may be an infringement on freedom of expression.