According to him, if the NMC, which has constitutional oversight over GBC had taken sides and stated how the TV license fees should be implemented, the Director-General would not have been asked to proceed on leave with immediate effect.

The governing board of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation [GBC], has asked the Director-General of the Corporation, Dr. Akuffo Annof-Ntow to proceed on leave.

The directive according to the Board Chairman of GBC, Reverend Professor Emmanuel Addo-Obeng, was agreed upon on Monday, January 15, 2018, following his handling of the TV license issues.

Speaking on Eyewitness News  on Tuesday, Sulemana Braimah said he was surprised when he heard the Director-General had been relieved of his position by the Board, saying that to the best of his knowledge, the appointing authority which the NMC,  is responsible for such actions.

“I was particularly surprised when I heard the news about the DG being asked to proceed on a leave by the board, because the first question I asked myself is that, unlike other institutions where you have the board being the appointing authority, in this particular instance, it is NMC that is the appointing authority, so to what extent can we have the NMC appointing and the board of the corporation which in itself was constituted by the NMC being the one taking the decision to relieve the DG of his post, it is actually a convoluted matter and so far I am yet to hear the NMC position,” he said.

Concerns over the TV license regime followed the Chief Justice’s setting up of special TV license courts across the country to prosecute people who refuse to pay the mandatory TV license fees in line with the TV licensing Act.

Domestic TV users are to pay between GHc36 and GHc60 for one or more TV sets in a household, while TV set repairers and sales outlets are to pay an annual sum of between GHc60 to GHc240.

Following the setting up of the special court, it was expected that defaulting TV owners or operators will be prosecuted per Section 1(a) of the TV licensing Act 1966 (NLCD 89) with defaulters facing a fine or a prison term not exceeding one year.

But a statement from the Board stopped the prosecution even before they occurred.

The board also urged the National Media Commission (NMC)  to explore a more sustainable funding module for the GBC.

During the back and forth, the GBC Director angered the public further when he suggested that persons who consumed TV content via smart phones were also going to pay the license fees.

Several pressure groups and civil society organisations kicked against the TV license regime, particularly the threat to use the court to ensure compliance.

In the midst of the arguments however, some individuals thronged GBC Revenue collection points to pay the fees.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonlinefm.com/Ghana

The post MWFA questions GBC Board’s action against Director-General appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the media is playing it role effectively in the campaign against the activity but government must take the necessary action to stop it.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Braimah said while the galamsey menace appear complex, it requires a bold, competent and visionary leadership to solve it.

“…we have on our hands now what is arguably the first and major test case of the leadership of President Akufo-Addo. That is the ongoing national crusade against Galamsey (illegal mining).

Almost all our rivers have been destroyed, forests are gone, cocoa farms are gone, lives have been lost and we face the prospects of importing water in the very near future. What makes matters worse is that Chinese (who don’t care and have no basis to care for the future of this country) are the ones in the frontlines of the Galamsey business.”

“Since I grew up, I have never witnessed a case where almost all our major media organisations manage to do away with their competition to focus on a single issue for days. The fight against Galamsey by the media is historic.”

“I have been listening to Citi FM since Monday and their crusade has been compelling and legendary. Just yesterday, all the state-owned media and all the major media groupings in the country launched what they call the Media Coalition Against Galamsey. Today, the Daily Graphic dedicated its major pages to the issue. Kudos to the media.”

“The media are actively doing what they should do – set the agenda, educate the masses about the menace and demand action from the authorities. Will the authorities act?”

Sulemana Braimah said the President must act decisively on the matter given the constitutional responsibility that has been placed on him to protect the country’s mineral resources.

Article 257 Clause 6 of the 1992 Constitution states that “Every mineral in its natural state in, under or upon any land in Ghana, rivers, streams, watercourses throughout Ghana, the exclusive economic zone and any area covered by the territorial sea or continental shelf is the property of the Republic of Ghana and shall be vested in the President on behalf of, and in trust for the people of Ghana,” emphasizing the role of the President in ensuring that natural resources are not destroyed.

Many communities in Ghana are currently suffering the negative effects of galamsey which has left most of Ghana’s fresh water poisonous.

Thousands of acres of fertile farmlands have also been destroyed as a result of galamsey. Although Ghana’s laws are clear on illegal mining the activity, it has been allowed to continue for more than two decades.

Citi FM has been at the fore front of media advocacy and crusade for action against the illegal activity.

President Akufo-Addo has said his government is working to develop a policy that will deal with galamsey in the country but pressure is increasingly being mounted on him to act fast to arrest the situation.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Galamsey fight real test for Akufo-Addo gov’t – Media Foundation appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.