Chairman of Parliament’s Communication Committee, Kennedy Agyapong has apologised to Sam George Nartey, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, after a misunderstanding between two earlier today.
There was drama in Parliament today, September 27, 2018, when the Chairman of Parliament’s Communication Committee, Kennedy Agyapong, and a member of the Committee, Sam George, nearly traded blows in a meeting to discuss the controversy surrounding the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) project.
This was at a meeting with representatives from the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), and the Communication Committee in a bid to address concerns over the DTT project.Speaking to the media, Mr. Ag
yapong said he got infuriated when he realised that Sam George has openly spoken about an agreement the committee had reached in private.He later described the meeting as fruitful and indicated that all issues with his colleague Sam George had been resolved.
“I wasn’t happy with what he said at the IMANI program yesterday. I was furious because of the statement he made against the committee which we have taken a decision which will not end here. I have apologised to him, and he has also apologised to me. And after we came back from the chamber, we have had a fruitful discussion.”
But Sam George alleged that the Communication’s Minister, Ursula Owusu had spoken ill of the committee hence, he had to clear the air to bring matters to rest.
“I explained to him that, somebody cast aspersions on the entire committee which I had to clear the air. So anybody who says that there was a physical confrontation [is mistaken]. The committee is committed to doing our job. There is fantastic relationship. It’s simply because. we are just passionate about the digital space in Ghana.”
Ken Agyapong blames Ursula Owusu for DTT-StarTimes controversy
Kennedy Agyepong, has blamed Communication Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful for the current controversy over Ghana’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform, and the role of Chinese firm, StarTimes.
“My members will say I have a slip lip, but all these are happening because of the Minister; so we have to meet the minister. We will invite the Minister to come and brief us on what happened.
Kennedy Agyepong indicated that the Communication Minister must come clean on the deal.
“We don’t have a problem going to meet the minister. I think the appropriate approach is to rather to invite the minister to come to the committee to brief us. We are left in the dark”, he added.
GIBA raises concerns over Star Times –DTT deal
GIBA has petitioned the Communications Committee in Parliament over the involvement of StarTimes in the country’s digital TV space.
The government has postponed migration to digital broadcasting for more than three times. It however contracted StarTimes in 2012 to supply and install the digital terrestrial television (DTT) infrastructure for Ghana.
The infrastructure was to guarantee multiple TV channels, clearer pictures, better sound quality and offer more opportunities for advertisers and broadcasters. The project which cost $95 million was supposed to have been completed before 2015.
But, GIBA is accusing government of trying to handover the DTT infrastructure to StarTimes to manage; a claim government has refuted.
They’re also unhappy with government for granting StarTimes a waiver as part of the company’s decision to extend free digital TV experience to 300 villages in the country.
I’ve pardoned GIBA for ‘misinforming’ Ghanaians on DTT deal – Ursula
The Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, later took a dig at the GIBA for supposedly misinforming the public.
She however said she has pardoned members of GIBA for the supposed error.
“There was a bit of confusion on their minds on what we were doing, and so I will pardon them and I hope that the clarification that has come will set their minds at ease. I think there was a bit of dis-ingenuity in the GIBA statement and the impression that they were creating that we were handing over the platform to StarTimes to manage when they knew that, that was not the case.”
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By: Nii Larte Lartey/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
The post Kennedy Agyapong ,Sam George apologise to one another after nearly trading blows appeared first on Citi Newsroom.
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