Ken Agyapong defends Ursula on StarTimes, vows to expose K-NET

Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong has strongly defended Minister of Communications Ursula Owusu-Ekuful in connection with the Kelni-GVG and the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) agreements.

According to Mr. Agyapong, the Communications Minister is not capable of handing over Ghana’s broadcasting space to Chinese firm StarTimes as is being perceived by some Ghanaians.

He said the Minority in Parliament is only politicizing the issue and making ugly noises over the issue when they (NDC) should be blamed for bringing the Chinese firm StarTimes in the country.
“There are no merits in what NDC and the Minority is doing over the deal. They brought StarTimes into the country and so why descend on Ursula when she is only explaining the deal. Myself I’m not aware of what’s happening as a committee member and so they should shut up and allow Ursula to rest” he said.

Ken Agyapong was speaking on Adom TV’s Morning Show “Badwam” Tuesday.

The government of Ghana signed a $95 million deal with the Chinese company, StarTimes to supply and install the DTT network platform for Ghana.

But the contract with StarTimes was later abrogated over what then Minister for Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, said was due to “failure of the company to secure the necessary funding from the China Exim Bank to execute the project.”
The government then awarded the digital migration contract to K-NET, a Ghanaian-owned company, but K-NET’s work on the project was halted after StarTimes sued the government of Ghana for what it described as the unfair abrogation of their contract with the State.

The deadline for the migration from analogue to digital has already suffered three postponements.

But the outspoken MP who is also a Member of Parliament’s Communications Committee has vowed to expose K-NET for delivering poor services.

Mr. Agyapong who claims to have scores to settle with the K-NET accused the company of doing a shoddy work.
“I even have scores to settle with KNET. If they had done a good work, we wouldn’t have gone for the help of StarTimes and so they should improve on their services and stop that. If they complain, I will expose them” he warned.

Mr. Agyapong said the communication will soon meet with the Ghana Independent Broadcasters, GIBA, who has raised concerns over the deal to see the way forward.

Source: adomonline.com