NMC unhappy with Ministry of Information

Accra, Oct. 3, GNA - The National Media Commission (NMC) has expressed its displeasure with the Ministry of Information for setting up a committee to investigate Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) without following the laid-down administrative procedure and structure. The NMC said the Ministry by-passed the laid-down administrative procedure and structure when it set up the Five-Member Committee to investigate the failure of GBC to telecast live President John Evans Atta Mills' address to the 64th Session of United Nations General Assembly.

A release Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman of NMC, signed and copied to the GNA at the weekend, said at its emergency meeting held on Thursday, members of the Commission expressed concern on the fact that the Ministry by-passed the laid-down administrative procedure and structure to set up a committee of inquiry into the matter.

The NMC said; "though it shares the concerns of the Ministry, it is regrettable that the appropriate laid-down procedures for resolving the matter had not been followed.

"Indeed, it reminded the Ministry that under the 1992 Constitution, the Commission is enjoined to insulate the state-owned media organisations from governmental control and would not countenance any instruction or instructions that would act to undermine its constitutional obligation.

"It is the view of the Commission that the Ministry of Information should have liaised with it in finding answers and solutions to the cause of the failure," the release said.

It said the Commission has absolute confidence in the Board and Management of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and they should be able to deal with any infractions that might have resulted in the failure to telecast live the President's address to the United Nations. The Committee, however, found the GBC not culpable because the Company that was contracted by the Ghana Embassy in Washington to feed the GBC admitted sending the wrong signals to the Corporation.