I’ll sanitise atmosphere of invectives - Mustapha Hamid

The Minister-nominee for Information, Mr Mustapha Hamid, has told the Appointments Committee of Parliament of plans to sanitise the political atmosphere and creating an environment devoid of insults and invectives at political opponents.

He expressed regret at comments attributed to him for some derogatory remarks against former President John Mahama, saying the then politically charged atmosphere gave room for the invectives, something he said both sides of the political divide were guilty of.

His promise was in response to a query from the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North, Suhuyini Alhassan, for describing the former President Mahama as an unrepentant bigot.

The nominee, a spokesperson for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, explained that he made the comment “in a rebuttal to the NDC tagging Nana Addo at that time as an ethnic bigot.”

He explained that he knew the President, then flagbearer of the current governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) was and is not an ethnic bigot and he had to defend him.

“I regret the polluted political environment that allows people to make insulting comments…I will contribute my quota to make sure that we have a sane political environment. I will work to rid our political environment of invectives and sanitise it.”

He said both sides of the political divide are guilty of throwing invectives, and promised if approved, Insha Allah, to work towards sanitising the political atmosphere.

Mr Hamid, who had trailed a career path as a media person, working with a number of both electronic and print media houses, and later a politician had served as spokesperson, for Nana Addo from who he received allowances when he served him as a spokesperson.

He said he was convinced that serving as the President’s Spokesperson for ten years, would have qualified him to take up another challenge instead of the current position, which would still require him to be a communicator.

That position, a Committee member noted implied that the nominee had not wanted to accept the position, to which Mr Hamid replied that “I am very much excited about the position,” and used the opportunity to refute claims that he did not come from the Upper East Region.

He assured the Committee of using the position to work on retooling the Ghana Publishing Corporation to be modernised, explaining that it was not in a good state because it did not have the necessary machinery.

The Information Minister-nominee said the proposed retooling of the Company would make available the correct machinery in order to be competitive, and once they retool, an appeal would be made to public institutions to give them jobs.

He promised to help retool assembly press to enable it to undertake commercial printing that will make the state-owned printing press financially sustainable.

He pledged to champion moves to make the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) effective and viable to the point that it can generate its own funds.

He said he would also help GBC roll-out innovative ways of collecting TV licenses adding that he would work to make the state broadcaster a major brand that could be competitive on the international scene.

“I think that is important that we work towards GBC a ‘BBC’ if you want where it is able to raise its own money and be very independent of government control even in terms of government subvention so that we can position it as a global player on the international scene.”

A recent survey by Geopoll placed GTV, the state Television, 6th out of 9 major television stations in Ghana, based on audience share.

Mr Hamid said GBC is currently applying some innovative ways of collecting TV license fees, which is mainly used to finance it.

GBC’s efforts to collect the fees remains a challenge as there is a general apathy among the populace in paying the fees.

But according to Mustapha Hamid, GBC’s innovation to allow Ghanaians pay their fees via their mobile phones among other innovating ways will help improve its operations.

‘Broadcasting bill’

Mustapha Hamid told the Committee that, he would help ensure that the country’s Broadcasting Bill, which defines parameters of broadcasting in the country and provides sanctions for media entities who flout it, is passed before the end of the 4-year term of the government.

‘TV signal quality’

He further noted that he will provide support and ensure financial resources are made available to GBC to enable it to complete a ‘modernization project’ aimed at improving the quality of its signal across the country. #

He said he had made a proposal to the ministry of finance for a budgetary allocation that will help complete the program.