A broader public outcry is simmering on the streets of Tamale against the setting up of a court by the Chief Justice to try TV licence defaulters.
The Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, set up the special court upon a request by the State broadcaster to prosecute TV owners who refuse to pay a mandatory license.
Domestic TV owners are to pay between GH36 to GH60 yearly for owning one or two sets. Repairers and sales outlets are to pay around GH36 to GH240 under the amended TV Licensing Act which is currently receiving overwhelming national condemnation and rebuke.
Many residents of the Northern Regional capital are angry and have expressed a blatant rejection of the new effort.
Alhassan Adamu, a middle-aged businessman at Kumbihini in Tamale who openly declared he was not going to pay the fee said the special court will be violating his right if it sentenced him for nonpayment.
He said he owned a digibox device and had not watched state broadcaster GTV for many years, criticising it for poor content and wondered what he was paying the fee for.
“The reason why I won’t pay TV license is because I’m on satellite and I’m paying that satellite channels. Every month I have to pay, if not they will disconnect me and more to the point, the GTV is not telecasting any better programmes for us”.
His brother, Shananu seated closer could not conceal his anger and exploded, launching a tirade at management of GTV, saying he was ready to face the special court judge.
” The programme they are handling now is not good for the community. We prefer the satellite more than GTV,” he said.
Zakaria Inusah a teacher who lives at Moshi Zongo told Starr News he was willing to hand over his TV set to the license collectors if they insist on his arrest for nonpayment. He complained the fee was exorbitant.
“If they come I will tell them I won’t use it again, even If I buy satellite and pay is better than watching nothing on GTV”.
When he was reminded the fee was not for programmes of the station but just for owning a television set, he rejected, saying: “I bought my TV; government didn’t buy it for me. I won’t pay if I decide not to own a TV set so they should not even try to force anyone”.
The collection of TV license in the country resumed almost three years ago but It was postponed following nonpayment and lack of public knowledge.
Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5FM/Eliasu Tanko
