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Peter Essoka
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Peter Essoka warns Issa
Tchiroma to steer clear of NCC
- Says IssaTchiroma cannot give him
instructions because he is not his boss
The vice president of the National
Communication Council, Veteran journalist Peter Essoka has refused to execute
an instruction from the Minister of Communication ordering him to lift the
suspension he slammed on the Pan-African TV Channel, Afrique Media.
In
a letter addressed to the MINCOM, Peter Essoka reminded IssaTchiroma that the
CNC is not placed under the supervisory authority of the MINCOM and for that
reason the MINCOM hasn’t the quality or competence to give instructions to the
CNC on any issue.
Peter
Essoka’s missive to IssaTchiroma was in response to an earlier letter addressed
to the former by the latter urging the former to lift his suspension of Afrique
Media.
IssaTchiroma
in the letter reminded Peter Essoka that the one-month suspension period had
since elapsed and besides, authorities of Afrique Media have signed an
undertaking with the MINCOM to « toe the line » and to respect all republican
laws on social communication in Cameroon.
But
Peter Essoka has held his grounds that he will not condone the abuse of power
by IssaTchiroma. He argues that it is not within IssaTchiroma’s competence to
regulate the press in Cameroon.
According
to Essoka, by interfering in the exclusive domain of the CNC the MINCOM is
acting ultra vires.
When
asked to react to Peter Essoka’s determined stance, IssaTchiroma said: « I
don’t have any problem with Mr. Peter Essoka. I simply asked him to lift the
suspension on Afrique Media and I think the organic texts creating the Ministry
of Communication give me the right to do so. »
Tchiroma
said he took the decision after authorities of Afrique Media wrote to him
complaining that the CNC has still not removed the seals on its doors in spite
of the fact that the one-month suspension deadline has since elapsed.
“The
objective for sanctions is not to penalize defaulters but to correct them. I
see no reason therefore why the TV channel should still be shut down after
having served the suspension,” Tchiroma said.
It
should be recalled that the CNC on 7 August 2015 took a decision suspending
Afrique Media for a period of one month with effect from the day of
notification of the decision.
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