By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, June 06, GNA – Okatakyie Ababio Boakye Danquah II, Board Chairman, National Communications Authority (NCA), has charged the newly inaugurated Dispute Resolution Committee of the Authority to execute its adjudicatory duties in line with provisions of the 1992 Constitution.
That, he said, would ensure fairness and professionalism in the dispense of its mandate.
“Members and registrar/secretary of the first ever DRC of the Authority, I task you to discharge your adjudicatory roles guided by the tenets of the 1992 Constitution and the standards of high moral character and proven integrity,” he said.
“You are an important component of the facilitative role of the Authority, and I have no doubt you will skillfully deliver.”
The Board Chair gave the charge when he swore in members of the first DRC of the NCA, in Accra, on Wednesday, to oversee conflict resolutions that may arise within the sector.
The DRC, expected to commence operation in July this year, would help promote fairness, professionalism, and open communication in resolving conflicts and foster trust and cooperation among parties.
This is in line with the Electronic Communications Regulations, 2011 ( 1991), which mandates the Authority to set up a committee to settle various disputes among service providers, utility providers and consumers.
The eight-member Committee is chaired by Mr Patrick Boateng, a former Adjunct Professor, Webster University-Ghana Campus and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
It has Professor Mark Adum Asamoah, STEM Policy Advisor and Co-ordinator of the Reform Delivery Unit, Ministry of Education; Madam Ama Pomaa Boateng, Member of Parliament for Juaben and former Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation; Dr Jemima Nunoo, Technical Director for Media and Strategic Communications, Office of the President and Mr Prince Hari Crystal, Broadcast Engineer and Member of the National Media Commission, as Members.
The rest are; Mr Kofi Owusu-Nhyira, Entrepreneur and Technology Lawyer; Mr Kusum Appiah, an IT and Communications Expert; Madam Golda Sowah Adjei, a Lawyer and ICT Regulatory Specialist and Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante – a Lawyer and Social Development Activist and Secretary of the Committee.
Okatakyie Danquah said as an industry, the electronic communication sector was constantly evolving, which called for the creation of avenues for speedy resolution of conflicts.
The NCA, he said, therefore, recognised its responsibility of acting as a binding force to create an enabling atmosphere for all players.
“As much, the establishment of the Dispute Resolution Committee is a step in that direction,” he noted, adding that the DRC would ensure that disputes in the sector were amicably resolved to promote industrial harmony.
“It will also be an alternative method to assist parties to find a mutually beneficial means of resolving disputes between parties and will ultimately be for the greater good of the electronic communications industry and our beloved nation as a whole,” he stressed.
The Board Chairman said, in the coming days, the Authority would commence sensitisation of the public on the procedures to engage the DRC, adding that it would also publish a DRC User Guidelines to assist stakeholders to fully utilise the Committee.
Dr Joe Anokye, Director-General of NCA, said the electronic communication industry had witnessed significant changes over the years, stressing that as a regulator, it remained committed to providing a multi-layered enabling environment that would benefit all stakeholders and the consumer.
He explained that the DRC was not established as a replacement for its customer complaints centre, but rather an alternative layer of support for resolution of conflicts within the industry.
Dr Anokye encouraged the industry players to make effective use of the Committee to settle disputes and improve the industry.
“I’m confident in their combined expertise and I have no doubt the panel will be objective, independent and committed to ensuring all disputes are resolved timeously and fairly,” he said.
Mr Boateng, Chairman of the DRC, speaking on behalf of the members, said the set-up of the DRC was a “big deal” for the industry.
He pledged that the Committee would prioritise the interest of consumers in the discharge of its mandate.
“In collaboration with all of you stakeholders, we pledge to work with you with diligence, with deliberate speed, transparency and more importantly, an open mind,” he assured.
GNA