The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has protested against Ghana Broadcasting Corporation's (GBC) refusal to allow Former Vice President John Evans Mills access to airtime.

A statement signed by Mr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Chairman of the Communication and media Committee, said; "Prof. Mills' Campaign Committee had offered to pay to have telecast on GTV a 25-minute edited version of the press conference he held on 10 September, 2002, during which he declared his intention to contest for the flag bearership of the NDC at its December Congress.

"In a letter from GBC signed by Mr. Wallace Bampoe-Addo, Acting Director of TV, GBC stated that "Corporate policy does not allow the paid full broadcast of this kind of material during the 'political off-season' except in our news bulletin"

"On hearing this development, Prof. Mills expressed disquiet, noting that this is the third time that he was being denied access to the publicly owned airtime managed on behalf of the people of Ghana by GBC.

" The first was when the state-owned TV station declined to broadcast an edited version of a press conference he held in April last year, during which he protested against the harassment being meted out to NDC functionaries by the NPP (New Patriotic Party) government.

" The second was in September 2001, when Volta Star, the GBC-managed FM station in Ho, denied the former Vice President access for an on-air interview.

The statement said commenting on this latest anti-free speech stance of the GBC, the NDC Member of Parliament for Kumbingu and former Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Welfare, Alhaji Mohamad Mumuni, expressed surprise and sadness at the way the GBC was managing a state asset, contrary to Constitutional provision of free expression and access by various political persuasions to the state-owned media.

"He noted that the 1992 Constitution expressly calls upon the state-owned media to facilitate the expression of dissenting views and opinions.

According to him, "if a respected former Vice President of Ghana, known for his moderate views, who also happens to be a Presidential aspirant cannot have his full views heard even for a fee, then God save the ordinary citizen of Ghana."

The statement said: "A legal advisor to Prof. Mills for President Committee has indicated that the Professor's lawyers are studying the matter, and the issue is likely to be sent to the Media Commission or even the Courts.

"The lawyer wondered whether the GBC has forgotten so early a judicial decision obtained against them by the NPP on a similar matter a few years ago.

" Other members of the Mills campaign feel that this latest decision of the GBC is only one example of many incidents that show how the high level of insecurity and intolerance of the NPP administration is leading to questionable behaviour by various government agencies, including some of security and law enforcement organisations and the state-owned media.

"Is there anything like a political season in Ghana and when have the state-owned media been responsible for defining this so-called 'political season'?"

Mr. Bismark Agbemenule, a member of the Mills campaign team asked; "if there is political season in Ghana, wouldn't that be up to the Electoral Commission to define? Why GBC?

"Are the private press that publish political headlines everyday respecting this political off-season?

"An NDC Deputy Youth Organiser, Mr Ludwig Hlodze, piped in: 'Is it not the same GBC which ran paid advertisements in 2001 on behalf of some NPP candidates who ran for positions at their National Secretariat before their congress?'

"Is the concept of political season limited only to the GBC or even to television stations? Aren't there many political programmes on both GTV and on all its affiliate radio stations in the regions including Unique FM?

"'Truly, Ghanaians are getting tired of these attempts to suppress opinions of others by either self-censorship or press gagging', he added.

"The Mills Campaign team is likely to formally petition the Media Commission, with court action as a veritable alternative," the statement said.

Reacting to the protest, Ms Eva Lokko, Director General of GBC told the Ghana News Agency that she was sad that political motives were being imputed in the decision to decline access to its facilities for political campaigns.

She said the decision was not influenced by political considerations; "it was a matter of policy that the GBC affords all political parties equal opportunity to air their programmes, but this is done only during the political season.

"The activities of Professor Mills would continue to be covered as was done when he arrived from Canada.

"The GBC was at the airport and he was given coverage free of charge since it was a major news item, Ms. Lokko said.

She wished Prof. Mills good luck in his second attempt to become the President of Ghana.