President of GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has lauded President John Dramani Mahama for halting the planned closure of 64 radio stations across the country by the National Communications Authority (NCA) over various regulatory breaches.
In a press statement issued on June 13, 2025, the GJA praised the president’s timely intervention, which directed the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation to engage with the NCA to stop the revocation of the stations’ frequency authorisations.
The NCA had cited several infractions, including failure to renew authorisation, operating without valid licenses, exceeding transmission limits, and non-payment of authorisation fees.
The GJA warned that shutting down the affected radio stations, regardless of their offences, would have had grave social and economic consequences on the country.
“Such an action would have ruptured the electronic media industry, leading to thousands of job losses and disruption of essential public services,” the statement said.
The association also stressed that the move would have undermined media freedom and freedom of expression.
“We commend President Mahama for tempering regulatory enforcement with clemency. His response demonstrates the government’s commitment to media pluralism, diversity, and responsiveness to stakeholder concerns,” it stated.
While the GJA maintained that it does not condone illegality, it echoed the president’s sentiment that regulatory enforcement must not come at the expense of press freedom.
The association encouraged the affected stations to take advantage of the moratorium to regularise their operations.
The GJA further called for sustained dialogue between media stakeholders and the regulator, urging the NCA to adopt enforcement approaches that are fair, transparent, and do not stifle information flow.
It also appealed to the NCA to publicly disclose the names of the affected stations to ensure transparency and accountability in the compliance process.
MRA/AE
Ever heard of Nkofie, the legendary Kwahu cave believed to grant wishes? Join GhanaWeb’s People & Places as we take you on an exclusive tour of this mystical site: