Communications Minister Sam Nartey George has rejected claims that recent suspensions of radio stations were politically motivated.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, April 15, the Ningo Prampram MP insisted that actions taken by the National Communications Authority (NCA) were purely legal and not based on ownership or party affiliations.
“Three of the six stations that I suspended have owners who are affiliated with the NDC,” he revealed.
“If it were a political party targeting, how am I shutting down stations whose owners are supposed to be NDC people? I’m simply applying the law.”
The Minister said he did not know who owned the stations at the time the suspensions were recommended.
“When I asked for the frequency authorisations, I didn’t ask for the ownership of the media houses,” he explained. “I just asked for the names of the companies that were outstanding.”
According to him, what followed was a typical pattern in Ghana’s political culture.
“As the persons showed up to now plead—as is the typical fashion of Ghana—‘Oh, don’t apply the law,’ then I realised, hey,” he said. “I said, why is this big person…?”
But Sam George said he is not swayed by status or influence. “Oh, but you see me? I’m a small boy,” he said. “But the law is the law, irrespective of how big you are. The law is no respecter of persons.”
He also disclosed that he invited Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), after the organisation raised concerns about media freedoms.
“I invited him to the Ministry, laid out the facts to him on the six [stations], and then showed him the outstanding 53,” he said.
He added that the MFWA now understands the government’s position.
“That’s why I said to you, the Media Foundation for West Africa now understands what we’ve done and has not made any further comment on the matter.”
The Minister noted that he would be briefing Parliament on the matter soon, sharing evidence to prove that the actions were not politically driven.
“When I’m done, I intend to brief Parliament as well on what I’m going to do and show them the evidence of same, so people realise that this is not political.”
He said the law must be applied uniformly to everyone.
“You can’t pick and choose who obeys the law and who doesn’t,” he stressed.
“It is unfair if one media house meets all its obligations and another does nothing but still operates because of who owns it.”
Sam George was clear: press freedom is not under attack. “This is not about silencing voices,” he said. “This is about accountability.”
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