Akufo Addo’s Gov’t Is Setting A Bad Precedent – Mahama
The Former President and 2020 flag-bearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama says the government of the day has set a bad precedent following the closure of some radio stations and delaying their license renewal applications.
Mr. Mahama made this assertion in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region on Tuesday August 17, when he commenced his Thank You Tour.
Mr. Mahama was interacting with the chiefs and people of the region on a tour to thank the over 6 million people who voted for him in the past elections.
“The constitution guarantees freedoms, human rights, freedom of association and so many other things, freedom and independence of the media and indeed there is a whole chapter on media freedom in our country’s constitution.
“Unfortunately, even when you have the best constitution you can have governments that try to bend it in order to achieve whatever ends they have in terms of restricting our rights enjoy under the democracy won for us”, Mr. Mahama said.
He decried the decision of the government to clamp down on some selected radio stations while some others which seem to have the same alleged infractions remain in operation.
Because the shoe can be on the other foot the next day; they say the stick that is used to beat Takyi, it is the same stick they will use to be Baah
“Today government can say that a radio station has delayed in paying its license fee and so we are shutting you down… When I talk about it, I talk about it because of the precedence it can set. Because the shoe can be on the other foot the next day; they say the stick that is used to beat Takyi, it is the same stick they will use to be Baah”, the former President said.
The government, working through the Ministry of Communications and other allied agencies closed down a number of radio stations citing infractions, mostly expired licenses. The selection of stations and the fact that some others with similar infractions are in still business has made some Ghanaians believe the move is political.
“So the stations you don’t like you can close them down today, when another government comes and it decides to do the same thing to the stations they don’t like too, what kind of country will we be building?”Former president John Dramani Mahama quizzed.
So the stations you don’t like you can close them down today, when another government comes and it decides to do the same thing to the stations they don’t like too, what kind of country will we be building?
