Today in History: NDC must settle its debt with GTV - Samuel Awuku

In 2011, the then opposition New Patriotic Party accused the then ruling National Democratic Congress of failing to settle its debts with the state broadcaster, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation for the coverage of its delegates congress in Sunyani and in Tamale the previous here.

The party’s National Youth Organiser at the time, Sammi Awuku speaking on Peace FM’s ‘kokrokoo’ accused the NDC of hijacking the national TV station, GTV when Stan Dogbe, who was then a presidential staffer and the then Deputy Minister of Tourism, James Agyenim Boateng, served as hosts for the live event in Sunyani instead of journalists working with the state broadcaster.

The NPP while describing the act as an abuse of office, cautioned the NDC to settle its debts with the broadcaster as it was prepared to use every legitimate means to ensure the debt is settled.

Read the full article as first reported by peacefmonline.com below

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is accusing the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and government of hijacking the state broadcaster Ghana Television (GTV), for its services and failing to pay the resulting fee for coverage provided during the just ended Sunyani congress and the Tamale congress held last year.

It is also questioning why Presidential Aide Stan Dogbe and Deputy Tourism Minister James Agyenim Boateng were made to host GTV’s live coverage of the NDC’s Sunyani congress when journalists working at the state broadcaster could have easily done that.

Contributing to discussions on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Morning Show, a Deputy Communications Director of the NPP, Samuel Awuku sounded a note of caution to the NDC saying they (NPP) will use every legitimate means to ensure that the ruling party settles its indebtedness with the state broadcaster.

To him, it is abuse of office for the NDC to use their position as the government in power to acquire the services of GTV without paying.

“The NDC has still not paid GTV after giving them coverage for their Tamale congress last year and now the Sunyani congress. They have left a heavy debt for the corporation and since they are in government, they just order them to pack their things and follow them to cover their programmes without paying which is a very serious thing,” he said.

According to him, the NPP’s fear is that the NDC might abuse the state owned media for their own benefit during the 2012 election. He warned that the NPP will advise themselves if the NDC does not settle the heavy bills incurred at GTV.

“The Information Minister had confirmed that they owe GTV and it had to take his intervention for the station to give them coverage during the party’s congress in Sunyani. What we fear is that during election time, the NDC will abuse the state owned media for their own interest considering what is happening so we have given them some time to settle the bills or else we will advise ourselves,” he noted.

He went on to add that “if the GBC is in active connivance with the NDC in this kind of adventure we will ensure that they will not operate even in an election year.”

According to Mr. Awuku “GBC picks and chooses when it is a political season and when they want to do the bidding of the pay masters but we’re warning them and the party is issuing a stern warning to the GBC as an entity. If they want to embark on an unfair reportage in 2012, they will not operate in the election year.”

The NPP flag-bearer Nana Akufo-Addo was last year prevented from using the regional station of GBC radio in the Volta Region even though the airtime had been paid for with the explanation that it was a political off-season.