GHANA- Monday, July 20, 2020,/ https://africanpostonline.com/ The staff union of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) says they will petition the National Media Commission to intervene over government’s plan to cede three of its channels.
In a letter dated June 29, 2020, Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, directed the Director-General of GBC to reduce the Corporation’s channels on Ghana’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform from six to three within 90 days.
The Union protested against the move saying it will render a good number of its workers jobless. Speaking at a union durbar held on Friday, the Vice Chairman of the Union Mark Agodoa, said the National Media Commission (NMC) must intervene.
“Yes, we will petition. We will send a petition to the NMC because we want the NMC to intervene. It is their constitutional mandate to do that. We just want them to talk or maybe negotiate because the workers are resolute with their decision. Whatever the case is, there is a room for dialogue.”
The unionised staff has served earlier notices that they will challenge moves by the Communications ministry to reduce the state broadcaster’s channels which according to them, can lead to the eventual collapse of the company.
Nitro Bibinii, Secretary of the Union in an interview with Citi News said works will continuously protest government’s decision until the Minister of Communications rescinds its decision.
“We are humbly advising her (Minister of Communications). She can take ten channels to herself, but what belongs to the state, no political activist can come for it. If previous Ministers of Communication were taking one each, how many would have been left? We are saying no. It will not work and we shall challenge this decision at the peril of our lives”. He said.
The state broadcasting corporation is currently operating on the DSTV, GBC T1 and DTT transmission platforms. TV users who have access to these platforms can watch all of GBC’s six channels on either platform. GBC has already written to the NMC to express its dissatisfaction over the matter.
In response to the Union’s protests The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah explained that managers of the DTT platform want to reduce “redundancy”, hence the notice to GBC. The Minority in Parliament says the request from the Communications Ministry is “unlawful”.
Source: Deborah Narkoah -African Post Online
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I’m Deborah Aba Narkoah. I’m an avid reader, writer and public speaker.
