The GBC is said to owe the power company about GHc 1.75 million.

[contextly_sidebar id=”lsztduc5gDJPwlYFfdw0s7OCZLolZEhL”]A letter sighted by Citi News in August 2017, indicates that the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, had written to the Minister of Energy to hold on with the intended disconnection exercise at the facility.

A portion of the letter said, “disconnecting power to their transmitters, especially those that serve rural communities means cutting off a section of the Ghanaian population from national discourse.”

“We entreat you to use your good offices to get ECG to stop these disconnections, while we (Ministry of Energy, GBC, NMC and the Ministry of Information) meet to find a solution to GBC’s indebtedness to ECG,” the letter.

But it appears the subsequent discussions were unable to prevent Thursday’s disconnection.

The Ashanti Regional Director of the GBC, Sam Kwatia, is now threatening a legal action against three workers of the ECG over what he called unlawful entry to the premises which enabled them to disconnect the power.

An altercation ensued between the ECG workers and staff GBC, after they disconnected power to the facility.

The GBC workers had blocked a pick-up vehicle the ECG workers brought in to carry out the disconnection exercise.

Workers of GBC who were unhappy with the disconnection exercise angrily confronted the ECG workers.

Police from the Asokwa District Command were later called in to maintain order.

Public Relations Officer of ECG in the Ashanti Region, Erasmus Baidoo, said several efforts had been made to retrieve the money amicably, but to no avail, lamenting that the amount was ballooning, and that they needed to act as its been done with other power consumers.

He expressed disappointment in the Regional GBC Director who supervised the deflation of the tyres of ECG’s car which entered the premises to cause the disconnection.

There have been concerns about government’s continuous support to the state broadcaster, with critics insisting that GBC should be self-sufficient by generating its revenue to run and pay its staff without relying on government subvention.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ashanti GBC disconnected by ECG over GHc 1.7m debt appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This follows the demise of the Queenmother of the the Asante Kingdom, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) at a press conference today [Saturday], at the their regional party office, announced that all rallies and noisemaking related campaigns, have been put on hold until after the Queenmother is buried as custom demands.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Ys2xcGEbu9DZe9qlpxPlzFQGuFgG2Ilq”]The Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Bosiako, noted however that, candidates who want to campaign can use the house-to-house campaign method.

He also added that, all party faithfuls in the region will be in party colors in solidarity with the Manhyia Palace.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has also in a press release indefinitely postponed the Kumasi version of “JM TOASO HEALTH WALK”.

The release signed by the NDC Regional Secretary, Raymond Tandoh, stated that, “the NDC holds the Chieftaincy institution in high esteem and would therefore not engage in activities that can be construed as a sign of disrespect to the memory of our departed Queenmother.”

The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, who was on a 5-day campaign tour of the Ashanti region, has subsequently suspended his activities in respect of the rich tradition of the Ashanti Kingdom.

Noise making, drumming, merry-making and funerals, have been banned in the Asante Kingdom until the Queen Mother, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II is laid to rest.

This was announced by the Otumfuo’s Chief Linguist, Nana Nsuase Poku Agyeman III on Thursday.

The Manhyia Palace officially announced the sad news on the passing of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, who died at the age of 111 on Thursday.

Nana Afia Kobi, who reigned for 39 years, reportedly died Tuesday evening.

Emissaries from the Manhyia Palace have since been dispatched to various paramount chiefs within the Asante Kingdom to inform them about the passing of the queenmother, as custom demands.

Nana Afia Kobi was enstooled in 1977 as the 13th queenmother of the Asante Kingdom in 1695, after the late Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko II, who reigned from 1945 to 1977.

The late Asantehemaa was the mother of the current Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. She witnssed the reign of the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, as Asantehene, who reigned from 1970 to 1999.

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By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com

The post NDC, NPP suspend political activities in Ashanti appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.