A former Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) during the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era, Professor Kwame Karikari has revealed that he was locked up in his office at GBC at the time for three days without bathing due to military inference in the work of media and GBC at the time.
Prof Karikari noted that the premises of GBC during the PNDC period became barracks where the soldiers were around at all times.
This, he said, put fear into some of his subordinates especially the women who constantly reported to him how the soldiers were pointing guns at them when reporting to work.
Prof Kraikari said these when he was speaking at the MTN Bright Conversations on Wednesday September 1.
The conversation was on the topic: ‘Promoting Professionalism in the Era of Social Media & Citizen Journalism.”
He noted that describing the action of the military’s action as interference was a mild statement.
He prefer to call it “rough times.”
“Interference under a military is mild expression, it was rough,” he told moderator Dzifa Bampoh who is a journalist with Media General.
“GBC was virtually a barracks, the soldiers were there,” he said, adding that “I tried to do my best at GBC during the military era. I stayed at GBC for three days without bathing, so it was rough.”
The current board chairman of the Graphic Groups of Communications further cleared the late former President Jerry John Rawlins who was leader of the country at the time, of masterminding the military interference.
“It was not Rawlings who was trying to dictate to us at GBC, he had too many worries to concentrate on GBC and Graphic,” he said.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana