The Ashanti Regional Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described the closure of Wontumi Radio as an attempt by the government to ‘silence the vibrant voice of our grassroots’.

Condemning the closure, the NPP Youth Wing stated that all three branches of Wontumi Radio, which have been shut down, have over the years served as a platform for job creation for the youth and a medium for Ghanaians to express their views on national issues.

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"… We strongly condemn this act, which we consider not only a direct attack on media freedom, but also a calculated attempt to silence the vibrant voice of our grassroots.

"Wontumi Radio in Kumasi , Accra and Takoradi have become a household name in Ghana and beyond, providing jobs to many young people, serving as a platform for open political discourse, and amplifying the voices of ordinary Ghanaians," portions of press statement issued on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 read.

According to the group led by the Ashanti Regional youth organiser, Raphael Patrick Sarfo, the closure is a sign of the government's hypocrisy, particularly referring to President Johnson Dramani Mahama.

They explained that the same government, while in opposition, had condemned the closure of some NDC-aligned media houses, questioning why it would now take the same action after previously criticising it.

"It is ironic and hypocritical that John Dramani Mahama, who once openly condemned the closure of Radio Gold and other pro-NDC stations during his time in opposition, is today presiding over the closure of Wontumi Radio. What has changed? Is media freedom only important when it favours the NDC?."

The statement continued, "The Youth Wing recalls vividly how former President Mahama described the closure of Radio Gold as a blatant abuse of power and a dent on Ghana’s democratic credentials. Today, under his watch, the same oppressive tactics are being unleashed against media outlets that dare to give platform to the NPP and its grassroots base."

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The Ashanti Regional Youth Wing also expressed strong displeasure over the arrest and detention of a Wontumi Radio journalist for remarks made on air.

It cautioned that it will take steps to protect the rights of its members and reaffirmed its readiness to resist any attempt to use state machinery to clamp down on them.

"The Ashanti regional Youthwing also condemn the use of state institutions to arrest, detain and harass journalists like Akyemkwaa Nana Asare , a radio host at Wontumi Radio and TV. We are serving notice that the Ashanti Regional NPP Youth Wing will not sit aloof while the rights of our people are trampled upon. We will resist every attempt to use state institutions as tools of political witch-hunting and oppression," it added.

The group called on the public to condemn the incidents.

"We call on all well-meaning Ghanaians, civil society groups, and lovers of democracy to join us in condemning this dangerous precedent. Ghana’s democracy must not be sacrificed on the altar of partisan interest," the statement concluded.

MAG/MA

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