Ghana’s Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has dismissed President John Mahama’s directive to restore 64 shuttered radio stations as politically motivated, calling the move “mere optics” during a parliamentary session on Thursday.
The critique follows the President’s order to reinstate outlets including Happy FM and Asaase Radio, which were closed by the National Communications Authority (NCA) for regulatory violations.
Afenyo-Markin challenged the administration’s coordination, noting: “The NCA and Ministry were clearly aligned in this action. Now the President says don’t do it. Where is the coherence?” He suggested the reversal appeared reactive to public criticism rather than principled governance. The stations were originally sanctioned for breaching Electronic Communications Regulations, with the NCA acting on ministerial directives.
President Mahama’s spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu had framed the reinstatement as balancing regulation with press freedom, instructing the Communications Ministry to establish a compliance timeline. However, the Minority Leader maintained the episode revealed governance inconsistencies, stating: “We’ve been in government before…this smacks of poor coordination.” The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between media regulation and democratic freedoms in Ghana’s pre-election climate.