StarTimes Saga: Minority to drag Ursula to parliament

The Minority in Parliament has hinted at dragging Minister of Communication, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, before the select committee on communication, to explain the details of the controversial deal with Chinese firm StarTimes.

Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak told Class91.3FM’s parliamentary correspondent Ekow Annan in an interview on Monday, 24 September that it is important for Mrs Owusu-Ekuful to address the house on the matter, saying she must not feel it is a personal attack on her.

The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has raised red flags about the whole arrangement indicating that the deal between the ministry and the Chinese firm to extend satellite TV to over 300 villages across the country, is being used as a conduit to hand over the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform to StarTimes to the detriment of local operators.

Meanwhile, another minority MP, Ras Mubarak, who is also a member of the communication committee, told Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Monday, 24 September that the ministry kept the committee in the dark over the deal.

“The committee is completely in the dark as far as this deal is concerned. All the documents we have received we got them from somewhere and not the ministry,” he said.

He added: “You wonder whether this government is serious about the interest of Ghanaians. Because you want money to do the Eastern Corridor road, StarTimes should be given this contract; is that what they are telling us?”

When asked what the minority would do in relation to this development, Mr Mubarak said: “We could file a question on the floor of parliament or we could also go to court.”