‘Oyerepa’ Radio has shut down in obvious compliance with the ‘order’ given by the Acting President of the Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC), Baffuor Asare Owusu Amankwatia at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Thursday, August 25, 2022.
The ‘order’ was after the Council, made up of chiefs in the Kumasi traditional area, had summoned and accused the ‘Oyerepa’ Radio station, operating on the 100.7MHz frequency from the Ashanti regional capital of Kumasi, of providing the platform for a businessman now active partisan politician, Mr. Akwasi Addae commonly known as ‘Odike’ to blame the chiefs for illegal gold mining in the region.
The chiefs are accusing ‘Odike’ of inciting the youth in the region against them and the Golden Stool, the soul of the Asanteman. But, at the KTC Meeting, the delegation was accused of shirking their responsibility of controlling ‘Odike’ before and during his appearance on their platform.
The delegation to the KTC meeting included the owner of the media group, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, and his General Manager, Mr. Otuo Acheampong or ‘Sometimer’.
Despite the host of the Morning Show distancing his outfit from utterances of ‘Odike’ during the discussion, and latter issuing an official apology for the manner the discussion went, the Bantamahene, Baffuor Asare Owusu Amankwatia, who is holding the fort for the Asantehene who is outside Ghana, rejected the apology claiming that it was not ‘big enough’ to merit a pardon and directed the management to do the ‘needful’ before their plea could be considered at another time.
He, as well, told the station to shutdown the radio station from Friday, August 26, 2022, until further notice, if they indeed, wanted the matter to be resolved.
This directive has been fully complied with by management of the Station to go off air pending a final resolution of the matter.
An insider at the Station told GBC’s Radio Ghana Friday morning that the management had informed the staff about the measures after an Emergency Meeting the night before.
The source said, however, that the ‘Oyerepa’ Tv division is not affected by the directive since the incident occurred on the Radio which is under consideration.
According to the source, the management had to comply with the KTC ‘order’, however illegal it is, to avert any unwanted ramifications and in respecting the traditional authority of the region.