The Media Foundation for West Africa has attributed the closure of four radio stations in Bawku by the National Communications Authority (NCA) to what it says is the inactivity of the National Media Commission (NMC).
The NCA, following a recommendation by the Upper East Regional Security Council and the National Security Ministry, shut down the radio stations as a necessary step for national security and public calm.
Many have criticized the NCA’s action, insisting that it acted outside its mandate.
The Executive Secretary of the Foundation, Sulemana Braimah, charged the NMC to live up to its mandate.
“The problem with our media landscape is the inefficiency of the NMC, and I am sorry to say that, but I think we are at a time when we have to say things as they are. When it comes to media regulation, the unethical issues that are happening, unprofessional issues that are happening are mainly because we have an NMC that is quite inactive, and that is what has allowed the NCA to begin to make these unilateral decisions.”
“We have a media regulator that has basically gone to sleep, and so the frequency authorizer is stepping in to do what the regulator ought to do.”
Mr. Braimah added that the NCA employed the wrong approach to shut down four radio stations in Bawku, which is likely to set a bad precedent.
“The NCA used the wrong approach to do the right thing. In other words, given what was happening in Bawku in terms of the radio stations and their role in the ongoing conflict there, any decision to shut down the stations was in the interest of the public. However, given that we have laws governing the media, one would have expected that when institutions are making decisions of this nature, they would follow due process, and in this case, it is about either doing so in consultation with the NMC or actually doing so based on a decision of the NMC because if we don’t do that, we may set a bad precedent.”
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