The management of Gumah FM in Bawku have issued a statement regarding a directive from the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation for the station to be shut down.
On Tuesday, February 18, the Ministry issued a directive for the radio station to cease operations over national security concerns.
In a statement, the Ministry indicated the decision was based on recommendations from the Upper East Regional Security Council following an emergency review meeting. The statement alleged that intelligence reports indicated Gumah FM had been using its platform to incite violence, disrupt public order, and escalate tensions in the region.
However, the management of Gumah FM, on their official Facebook page, have responded, accusing the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation of discrimination. They believe the directive for the closure of the station is politically motivated, and an attempt to collapse the radio station.
“Even though, we have not been communicated officially by our regulator the National Communication Authority (NCA), we have shut down transmission believing that, this is a politically motivated directive and other issues calculated to bringing Gumah FM down”, part of the statement reads.
Read full statement below
The management of Gumah FM in Bawku, wish to notify the general public especially, our clients and cherish listeners that, we are currently off air. We had to go off air when our attention was drawn to a directive from the Ministry of communication stating that,Gumah FM have been ordered to shutdown transmission with immediate effect. Even though, we have not been communicated officially by our regulator the National Communication Authority (NCA). We shut down transmission believing that, this is a politically motivated directive and other issues calculated to bringing Gumah FM down.
The statement from the ministry of communication indicated that,Gumah FM is used to incite violence in Bawku.We want want to indicate that, Gumah FM does not incite violence and we will seek legal advice and make sure that the ministry of communication provide us with evidence of our involvement in inciting violence in Bawku.We want to state that,if it’s discussions on the chieftaincy dispute and the general security situation in the Bawku area and subsequently the events in Walewale on our frequency that the ministry of communication describes as inciting violence,we also have in our possession discussion from other radio stations in Bawku on the chieftaincy and general security situation in Bawku which we believe have the tendency to incite violence.We want to call on the ministry of communication to reconsider their decision and allow Gumah fm to continue to do business.We will do everything possible to fulfill our contracts with our clients and want to appeal to them to exercise patience as we follow the process to get back on air to do business with them.
WE WILL SURVIVE THIS.
ISSUED BY MANAGEMENT
