A political storm has erupted over President John Mahama’s recent directive to reverse the National Communications Authority’s (NCA) shutdown of 64 radio stations across the country, raising sharp concerns over executive overreach and the independence of Ghana’s regulatory institutions.
The shutdown, carried out by the NCA, was based on alleged violations of the Electronic Communications Act, with some stations said to have operated for years without proper authorization. However, the President intervened, directing the NCA to halt the closures and offer clemency to the affected stations.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Thursday, Deputy Ranking of the Information and Communication Committee, Charles Asuako Owiredu, condemned the intervention as a ‘brazen assault’ on the independence of Ghana’s regulatory framework.
“The president has effectively declared that regulatory law is optional when it conflicts with his political preferences. These are not suggestions—they are the laws of the land,” Charles Owiredu said.
He emphasized that sections of the Electronic Communications Act mandate the NCA to enforce license compliance and issue sanctions when appropriate and warned that the President’s action sets a dangerous precedent.
“If the President can override NCA enforcement today, what prevents him from overriding Bank of Ghana monetary policy decisions or Electoral Commission enforcement actions?” he asked.
He argued the closures are politically motivated and selectively enforced adding, “We are totally against the shutdown because they were particularly targeting individuals with close association to the New Patriotic Party (NPP). You can talk of Chairman Wontumi, you can talk of Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko,” he stressed.
“So, if NCA has done what they are supposed to do, Mr. President, what’s your problem here? Allow NCA to do their job, and then we can appeal for leniency for them,” he added.