Radio Gold & Radio XYZ Closure : Sue NCA and stop the political noise – Casely-Hayford to Radio Gold

Member of OccupyGhana Sydney Casely-Hayford has asked Radio Gold to sue the National Communications Authority (NCA) and stop its complaints after it was shut down.

Elements from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have decried the state action against Radio Gold, a major pro-opposition media house but Mr. Casely-Hayford said they are “just creating noise.”

“If the NCA have defaulted and have not given Radio Gold sufficient time to respond to what is going on, take the NCA to court and win your fight but let’s not go down this politically dirty road that we are pushing,” he said.

He insists that the law must be made to work despite the complaints.

Management of Radio Gold described the closure of the station as extreme because it had made attempts to satisfy the NCA criteria.
Radio Gold also said it expected that the NCA action “would have been preceded with prior and adequate notification.”

Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu also accused the government of trying to use the NCA to silence the NDC ahead of the 2020 elections.

According to him, he will drag the NCA to parliament to answer questions on the closure of the two radio stations.

But Mr. Casely-Hayford on Citi FM's "The Big Issue" said, “what the NDC party is doing is undermining the authority of all institutions that come up to play in the country.”

“It is taking this country back in time. It is disrupting or future progress and it is making things too complicated when we are trying to establish a certain rhythm and to be able to go forward.”

“There is nothing wrong if those two stations happen to be affiliates of your political party. It is not the issue. Rather what you should do is to advise them… [to] go to court and fight their fight and win their battle. That will be far more politically grounding,” he said.

NCA lacks good judgement

Private legal practitioner, Lawyer Martin Kpebu says the National Communications Authority, NCA lacks good judgement in its decision to close down Radio Gold and Radio XYZ.

The NCA on May 9 shut down two Accra base radio stations, Radio Gold 90.5 FM and Radio XYZ 93.1 FM.

According to reports, officials from the NCA and the Ghana Police Service went there to halt operations of the two stations.

A statement issued by the NCA said the Authority is shutting down radio stations operating without valid authorisations.

"Radio stations operating without valid authorisations as determined by the 2017 FM Broadcasting Audit are being shut down with immediate effect as an enforcement action in view of the decision of the Electronic Communications Tribunal."

But expressing his views on the action by the NCA on Joy FM, Martin Kpebu said it is not every law you will have to enforce to the latter especially when it does not conform with natural laws.

He said, " some of them (laws) you have to exercise tact, good judgement but I find that lacking in this particular case (NCA shutdowns)".

Martin Kpebu further stated that the NCA does not understand its own laws.

"The NCA even didn't understand the law, when they went to court they lost."

"I panicked for the first time when I heard the shutdown. Already the country was heating up with Ofosu Ampofo's case," he added.

NCA shutdowns

The National Communications Authority, NCA has shut down two Accra base radio stations, Radio Gold 90.5 FM and Radio XYZ 93.1 FM. on Thursday afternoon May 9.

According to reports, officials from the NCA and the Ghana Police Service went there to halt operations of the two stations.

A statement issued by the NCA said the Authority is shutting down radio stations operating without valid authorisations.

"Radio stations operating without valid authorisations as determined by the 2017 FM Broadcasting Audit are being shut down with immediate effect as an enforcement action in view of the decision of the Electronic Communications Tribunal."

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 Haruna Iddrisu to drag NCA to Parliament for questioning on Radio Gold, Radio XYZ closure

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