Ken Agyapong clashes with Sam George at Committee and GIBA meeting

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Communications, Mr Ken Agyapong Thursday morning clashed with Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam George.

Reports suggest there was a near brawl between the two members of Parliament but for the timely intervention of other members of the Committee on Communications who were at the meeting.

Related: We say no! - GIBA kicks against StarTimes digital TV deal

The committee had met Thursday morning to listen to concerns raised by the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and the StarTimes deal.

Related:  GIBA’s ‘ugly noises’ on DTT politically motivated – Ken Agyapong

Mr Agyapong is the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Communications.

During the meeting, one of them was said to have used some words which the other felt were insulting and demanded a withdrawal and an apology.

Read also: StarTimes saga: You can’t dictate to us – Gov't to GIBA

The other was said to have insisted that he was not going to do that and from what Graphic Online gathers, the exchanges started from then on and got near-physical to the extent that some members at the meeting had to restrain the two, to avoid any fisticuffs.

Eventually, the meeting was suspended for about 30 minutes until about midday when members were recalled.

All these, Graphic Online gathers, happened when the committee was trying to get more details on the petition GIBA had sent to them on the DTT and StarTimes deal.

Related: Ursula to meet GIBA over DTT and StarTimes brouhaha on Thurs

StarTimes had started Ghana's Digital Terrestrial Television programme but along the line, their contract was cancelled because they failed to deliver.
The contract was later given to Ghanaian company K-NET to handle and K-Net has done more than 90 per cent of the job.

K-Net presently needs additional funding to complete the project which is the first phase.

But the government intends to go back to StarTimes to complete it and GIBA has raised an issue with that.

The two MPs Messrs Agyapong and George disagree over the termination of K-NET’s contract by the government.

Read also: MFWA cautions Ursula on StarTimes and DTT migration

While Mr Agyapong is in favour of the termination of the K-NET deal due to, according to him, the shabby manner in which the local company treated his (Mr Agyapong’s) NET2 TV station in the past, Mr George believes the StarTimes deal is detrimental to local players in the industry.

More to follow...

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh

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