Gumah FM responds to its closure by government authorities
This directive signed by the Minister for Communications, Samuel Nartey George, directed the station to cease operations, alleging that its broadcasts incite violence in Bawku, a town that has long suffered from conflict
The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations on Tuesday ordered the closure of some media organisations operating without valid frequency authorisation including Gumah FM.
This directive signed by the Minister for Communications, Samuel Nartey George, directed the station to cease operations, alleging that its broadcasts incite violence in Bawku, a town that has long suffered from conflict.
In response, the management of Gumah FM described the move as “politically motivated” and called on the ministry to provide evidence of any wrongdoing.
“We want to indicate that Gumah FM does not incite violence, and we will seek legal advice to ensure that the Ministry of Communication provides us with evidence of our involvement in inciting violence in Bawku,” the station’s management said in a statement published on its Facebook page.
The station said it had not been officially contacted by the National Communications Authority (NCA), Ghana’s media regulator, but had gone off-air after learning about the government’s directive.
Gumah FM suggested the shutdown was an attempt to silence discussions about the Bawku chieftaincy dispute and general security issues in the area.
“If it’s discussions on the chieftaincy dispute and the general security situation in Bawku, and subsequently the events in Walewale, that the ministry describes as inciting violence, we also have in our possession discussions from other radio stations in Bawku on the same issues, which we believe have the tendency to incite violence,” the station’s management said.
The station called on the ministry to reconsider its decision and allow it to resume operations.
Government officials have not publicly responded to Gumah FM’s claims, but the shutdown comes amid long-running ethnic and chieftaincy tensions in Bawku, a town in Ghana’s Upper East Region.
The government has previously warned media outlets against inflaming tensions in the area, which has seen violent clashes in recent years.
Gumah FM assured its advertisers and listeners that it would explore all legal avenues to resume broadcasting. “We will survive this,” its statement concluded.
Reporting by Mark Smith in the Upper East Region
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