Audio Attachment: Listen to Kweku Baako Jnr. on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme |
Seasoned journalist Kweku Baako Jnr. has pleaded with the National Communications Authority (NCA) to grant amnesty to the 131 radio stations that have been sanctioned by the Authority.
Commenting on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Mr. Baako was of a strong view that the penalty for the radio stations defaulting in renewal and payment of their license fees is outrageous.
He believes should the stations be made to pay up the charges which run into millions of Ghana cedis in the new currency and billions in the old, a lot of them will be "finished".
“I am from a very purely sentimental point of view appealing to the NCA to grant amnesty", he said adding that he feels "uncomfortable when the media is touched".
"I know this is strictly business but it is the kind of business within which free speech operates. It is a delicate balance. If you ask me, I will say let's give them amnesty, let’s start afresh".
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People Have To Be Punished At NCA
Also touching on the issue, the Central Regional Chairman of the NDC Allotey Jacobs asked the NCA to negotiate with the media stations to broker a deal to ensure the stations don't collapse due to the sanctions meted out to them.
He said “the radio stations are at fault. The NCA, itself, people will have to be punished . . . For so many years, it took one person to fight for private radio stations. It took Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey. Yes! I mean history is there and you cannot dispute with that history that he fought for private radio stations and started with his own . . . So, we’ve come a long way”.
The NCA has sanctioned 131 radio stations across the country for committing several offences.
Out of the number, 34 stations have had their licenses revoked for operating illegally while 20 and 24 of them are ordered to pay a fine for failing to pay their renewal fees and submit documentation respectively.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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LAW IS LAW. They called the tunes, they should dance to it. simplicita.
if you give them the amnesty and then they fail for another period, somebody would plead for another amnesty. At what point should the law be enforce ? it the responsibility of the operators to pay. if you do not pay, say for 10 years, and you fine, it would be fruitless to say that why you did not remind me. that would be at the height of irresponsibility. if you consume water or electricity, you should pay a reasonable amount of money you consider reasonable to what you consume without even a bill. when the final bill comes, you could adjust the the payment.
NCA is also at fault, what were they sitting down there doing? Station were not renewing after a year no letters were sent to them to remind them and you wake up one day and say you owe for 10yrs so you either pay plus a fine or we close you done. I agree with Kwaku
Those people who beg for the law breakers have not lived and worked in any developed country before. Who is going to beg for you if you breach any law in UK, Kanada, Amerika etc? That is the extent of stuupudity of Ghanaians. Why the need to promulgate laws? Do you rememeber, one of Tony Yeboah's manager in Germany was fined huge sums of money for failing to pay tax on behalf of Tony? That is why every Ghanaian must once live and worked in a developed country to leearn some sense!!
Kwaku, this one dee I do not agree with you koraa. Please, support the law enforcers to make Ghana work again. Tell the "media" to be awake to their national duty and they will remain'untouched'. this 'dwatoa' attitude in wilfully sinning Ghanaians is part and the bedrock of corruption. Laws are laws, rules are rules, ...
How dare any dutiful state institution clandestinely breach the rules, even as it watches over them, and be allowed to go unpunished? What is the assignment of the news media, you would say?
amnesty indeed, do you know what would have happened to these stations were they in the developed countries? go and check
that is the reason why we have no respect for the laws in this country. Any time there is a sanction, people begin to beg on behalf of the victim. Why the need for us to be passing laws? once they go contrary to the law, they have to be punish. So my friend Kweku, please keep quite ok
Kweku, please the media is not above the law. If this had happened to a political party you guys would have "chewed" them into pieces. Allow these media houses to face their own music.
KWAKU BAAKO IS A DISGRACE TO DEMOCRACY, HE SHOULD GO AND WORK FOR MAHAMA L,G COMPANY AS P, R,O,. CITIZENS