Joseph Kwadwo Afari Yeboah, the Conventional Peoples’ Party (CPP) General Secretary Aspirant, has condemned move by the government to collapse three Television channels of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

He said the move by the Akufo-Addo’s administration is in bad faith and it will go down into history that this administration targeted and collapsed Ghanaian businesses, which include media houses, financial firms and even states own enterprises

Being more particular about the state own enterprise, GBC, he said it has been operating for over 80 years and by now it should be one of the pioneer and leading broadcasting institutions on the African continent.

The CPP General Secretary aspirant in a press statement, added GBC should be the leading broadcaster in Africa communicating the developmental and transformational need of the people, yet “successive governments under the 4th republic have, however, done so little or nothing to improve the fortunes of GBC.” 

Despite successive government doing so little to savage GBC to live up to expectation, it has managed on its own to operate six digital TV channels, with tailored content that serves the people.

In addition to this, it also operate over 15 Regional radio and FM channels across the country, which ensure that information reach many Ghanaians in their local dialect. This as information dissemination is very key in any development environment to facilitate growth in several facets of our socio-economic agenda. 

However, he said the saddened and unfortunate instruction by the Communication Minister Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekufu to the state own broadcaster to shut down three of its digital TV channels is unwarranted.

He questioned the Communication Minister authority to give such a draconian order, when GBC is under the Information Ministry and the National Media Commission.

Why her decision must be resisted? 

The GBC is there to serve all Ghanaians and any measures undertaken by the government to control and interfere in its internal affairs must be vehemently resisted by the people. 

Apart from the core mandate GBC as a broadcaster, it provides employment, and training and capacity to many individuals and organisations in the media industry.

Indeed, the GBC has the capacity to improve and extend its services beyond the borders of Ghana. There are several international media networks operating in the Ghanaian airspace via satellite and other digital technology provisions, therefore, GBC must not be targeted.

The government should invest in GBC to build its capacity, quality and reach rather than instructing it to shut down the three digital channels.

GBC can be used to facilitate cultural exchange across Africa, particularly to promote the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), which the Secretariat is in Ghana.

By Akutu Dede Adimer