Accra, Ghana – The National Media Commission (NMC) has issued a final warning to Accra-based Onua FM, demanding a retraction and apology for a broadcast the Commission has deemed ‘inciteful’. In a letter dated November 21, 2023, the NMC emphasized its stance against the station’s recent content, which included direct insults towards the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and other Commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), as well as the use of vulgar language.
According to Ghana News Agency, Onua FM has until Friday, November 24, 2023, to comply with the orders, failing which the Commission will take decisive action. The letter, signed by Mr. George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of the NMC, expressed disappointment at the station’s perceived evasion of responsibility and reiterated the Commission’s authority to enforce appropriate measures. The NMC warned that the station’s actions, including inciting mutiny within the Armed Forces, went beyond the boundaries of acceptable broadcasting. The Commission had previously cautioned Onua FM in December 2021 for similar ‘unprofessional and inciteful’ broadcasts, specifically citing an incident where ‘Captain Smart called for insurrection against the State of Ghana and its institutions’. This recent development marks a continued concern for the NMC regarding the station’s broadcasting conduct.