A member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication Sam George has raised concerns over the Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority Kwaku Sakyi-Addo serving as a show host on new radio station Asaase FM.
According to him, such a development, as advertised by the radio station, will be conflict of interest.
“I wish to draw your attention to recent happenings at the National Communications Authority which your Ministry has oversight of which in my humble opinion raise issues of a possible conflict of interest. I have seen an artwork advertising a program dubbed Sunday Night starting on the 14th of June 2020 at 7pm on newly out doored Asaase Radio 99.5FM. This programme is to be hosted by the veteran journalist Mr. Kwaku Sakyi-Addo as per the advertisement. It would be refreshing to hear the veteran back on air. However, regardless of how refreshing it would be to see the respected journalist back on the airwaves, he is still the Board Chairman for the National Communications Authority at my last check, which is the regulator for radio stations like the one he is about to start working for.
“This raises immediate questions of a possible conflict situation should a situation occur that requires the intervention of the regulator regarding Asaase Radio 99.5FM.
It is my considered belief that this situation is far from ideal and appears to be becoming the status quo giving the fact that another Board Member, Paul Adom-Otchere is also actively working in another media house (Metro TV) on the Good Evening Ghana program as host. Regulators should not be players in the same industry space they are expected to regulate as that would hamper the confidence of other players in the same space,” the Ningo Prampram Mp wrote in a statement addressed to Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
It added: “Even as I anticipate your response and action on the above stated matter, I would like to draw your attention, Honourable Minister, to section 6(1)(e) of the National Communications Authority Act, 2008 (Act 769) which states and I quote; “The governing body of the Authority is a Board consisting of three other persons at least one of whom is a woman and each of whom has knowledge of expertise in electrical engineering, law, business or public administration” The current constitution of the NCA Board does not comply with this provision as there is no woman on the Board as at the last time I checked. This violation I believe needs to be remedied with alacrity in line with the true and proper intent of the legislation”.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh