Media Commission to engage Manhyia over closure of Oyerepa Radio

The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, has said that the NMC is planning to meet the Chiefs at Manhyia Palace to talk about the closure of Oyerepa Radio, a local radio station in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

In addition to that, he said the NMC is expected to release a statement today, concerning the matter.

On Thursday, Agust 25, 2022, the Manhyia Palace ordered the closure of Oyerepa Radio, a local radio station in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

This comes barely a month after the Ada Traditional Council also placed restrictions on Radio Ada, a local radio station in the area until the intervention of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA)

Oyerepa Radio’s ordeal stems from the fact that it allowed its medium to be used in denigrating Manhyia, the symbol of Authority in Asanteman according to the acting president of the Kumasi Traditional Council, Baffour Amankwatia VI.

Baffour Amankwatia VI issued the directive when a delegation from Oyerepa Radio and TV appeared before the traditional council to offer an apology for demeaning comments Against Ashanti Chiefs by the leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai ‘Odike’.

Manhyia, therefore, ordered Oyerepa Radio to suspend activities from today, Friday 26 August 2022 until further notice.

Speaking on the radio station recently, Odike attacked Manhyia Palace and all Ashanti Chiefs over their inability to tackle the galamsey menace in the Ashanti Region.


NMC

In an exclusive interview with Atinka TV’s Reporter, Vincent Kofie, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh said there was the need to engage the Chiefs to settle the matter amicably so that Oyerepa can come back on air.

“We will talk with them to see best ways to address the matter, because the station must come back on air, but until we speak with them, we cannot say anything. When it happens like that, then it means we did not accord them the due respect. We will issue a statement but we want to engage them so that we can know what the problem is and solve it,” he said.

He added, “We know they do not have power to do what they did, but we have to make them understand so that it does not happen again.”