GBC Workers Petition NMC Over Alleged Sale of TV Channel

By Anita Nyarko-Yirenkyi

Workers of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) have petitioned the National Media Commission (NMC) to immediately sack some management members for their roles in the alleged sale of GTV Govern channel to a private investor.

The management, the workers wants the NMC to take action on are Augustus Yamson, acting Director General, John Kwame Waja, Director of Legal Resource and Ebenezer Ampaabeng, Deputy Director of TV .

The workers accused them of being principal actors in the sale of the channel.

The petition was issued on behalf of workers by Sam Nat-Kevor and Nutor Bibini Nutor, Chairman and Secretary of the Local Union of GBC, respectively in Accra yesterday.

The workers hoisted red flags and banners in protest against the alleged sale. The banners had inscriptions such as: "Reversed GTV Govern channel deal now", "If private people manage GBC Channels, what happens to government workers", "Principal alleged actors must proceed on leave", "Pay retirees their service benefits".

The petition noted that workers were under constant pressure from management to merge television channels including GBC 24, all news channel and GTV Govern, dedicated to governance channel within the past two months.

According to the petition, the alleged sale was in breach of the Procurement law, which state that unless in an emergency situation, all sales and contracts involving state owned agencies must be subjected to a tender process.

"GBC management did not indicate or announce publicly or invite other well-meaning Ghanaians who may have also been interested in reaching an agreement with GBC to the same effect to apply for tender," it stated.

According to the petition, the processes leading to the selection of the buyer were shrouded in secrecy, adding that the management allegedly reached a US$400,000 agreement with KBL to use the GTV Govern channel before informing the Board Sub-Committee on programmes.

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