Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Sulemana Braimah has indicated that Assin Central Member of Parliament and owner should rather direct his calls for an apology to the National Communications Authority.
At the vetting of the Communications and Digitization Minister Ursula Owuasu, it emerged that the closure of some Radio stations in the country was politically motivated because some NPP affiliated radio stations including Oman FM fell short by the parameters put in place but they were not closed down.
Kennedy Agyapong responding to this claim by the Asawase Member of Parliament said they were lies and there was the need for Hon. Muntaka Mohammed to apologize to Oman FM for spreading falsehood about the Radio Station.
But reacting to Kennedy Agyapong’s call, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah who has been at the forefront of the fight for the freedom of the media said Kennedy Agyapong should rather call for an apology from the NCA because their records indicate that Oman FM was owing.
To him, information from the NDC indicated that Oman FM located in Madina did not make the cut on the various parameters put in place by the National Communications Authority in closing down of the various Radio stations and had to be closed if there was no political interference.
“I hear Hon. Ken Agyapong is demanding apology from Hon. Muntaka for saying at the Appointment’s Committee of Parliament that Oman FM, which belongs to Hon. Agyapong had not renewed its frequency authorisation and yet was not shut down by the NCA. Well, if anything Hon. Agyapong should be directing his request for apology to the NCA whose record indicated clearly that his station had not renewed its authorisation. Below is a screenshot from the NCA’s own data on list of Authorised VHF-FM Radio stations in Ghana as at Fourth Quarter (that is end of year) 2019. This data was published after the NCA had shut down several radio stations for failing to renew their authorisation. By law frequency Authorisation renewal is required every 5 years. The NCA record shows Oman FM got its authorisation in 2006. There is a column for last date of renewal of authorisation. What is in that column? Blank. For purposes of comparison and confirmation, see the other picture with NEAT FM from the same document of the NCA. NEAT FM got its first authorisation in 2008 and last date of renewal is indicated as 2016. So if Oman FM had renewed its authorisation why was their date of authorisation not indicated just as that of NEAT FM and the others whose last date of renewal have been indicated in the same document?” he questioned.
