Mpraeso Member of Parliament, Davis Ansah Opoku (OPK), has called on Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George to refrain from interfering in the operations of the National Communications Authority (NCA), particularly regarding a selective audit of frequency authorizations.

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Speaking on the floor of Parliament, OPK cautioned against any attempts to undermine the independence of the NCA, emphasizing that the regulatory body was established under Section 9 of the Electronic Communications Act 2008 (Act 775) to function autonomously. He cited the law, which states:

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"Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the Authority shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority in performing its functions."

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The lawmaker stressed that the Minister does not have the legal mandate to instruct the NCA to audit or revoke frequency licenses. He insisted that any such review should be initiated by the NCA itself through due process rather than political directives.

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Beyond the legality of the matter, OPK questioned the rationale behind restricting the audit to only frequency authorizations issued within the past 60 days. He argued that if transparency and compliance were the real objectives, a comprehensive audit of all frequency allocations should be conducted, rather than a narrowly focused review that could be perceived as politically motivated.

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"Radio is the heartbeat of our democracy. It serves as a valve for people to air their views on issues that bother them—a practice that has sustained our democracy," OPK stated.

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He warned that any attempt to selectively audit or revoke frequencies could be interpreted as an effort to suppress press freedom and control media narratives.

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OPK urged the Minister to respect the independence of the NCA and allow it to carry out its mandate without political interference.

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Reaffirming the critical role of radio in Ghana’s democratic space, he emphasized the need to safeguard media freedom at all costs. He also called on Parliament to ensure that regulatory institutions operate with fairness and transparency, ensuring all Ghanaians have access to diverse and independent media voices.

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