The National Media Commission (NMC) has today, November 14, 2023 issued a final warning to Onua Radio/TV and its staff, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart over what it describes as inciteful broadcast.

The commission, in a press statement signed and issued by its Executive Secretary, George Sarpong made known that Captain Smart directly insulted the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and other Commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) as ‘Beast’ on the Onua TV platform. 

“Last week, your station carried an Inciteful broadcast in which Captain Smart directly insulted the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and other Commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) as “beasts.”

”Captain Smart claimed the officers embezzled money meant for soldiers on peacekeeping operations but offered no evidence to back his claims. “This was as dangerous as it was unprofessional,” the NMC stated.

The statement continued by saying; “You may recall that on December 8, 2022, we drew your attention to the use of your station to promote violence against the state and your management’s lack of capacity to address the same. This was after we had written to your management on December 2, 2022.

“It is of concern to us that the behaviour persists after we drew the board’s attention. We are now compelled to come to the board again as a way of giving the company a last opportunity for internal gatekeeping. It is of concern to us that the behaviour persists after we drew the board’s attention. We are now compelled to come to the board again as a way of giving the company a last opportunity for internal gatekeeping.” 

“We ask that you put in measures to stop the dangerous behaviour of the station and improve the station’s capacity for regulatory compliance. We also ask the station to withdraw the insults and apologise to the CDS and his commanders. We further ask the station to apologise to the Ghanaian public for the use of vulgar language,” it added.

The commission to a greater extent  asserted that “We expect you to undertake the above and present evidence of the same to us before November 19, 2023 after which date you may hear further from the Commission,”