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…over WhatsApp status on electricity woes
A radio announcer attached to Radio Mabaruma, one of several radio stations unveiled by the APNU+AFC administration in the Hinterland, was fired this week over a post she made on her WhatsApp status over the electricity woes in the Region One town.
Reports are that announcer Tellisa King , who was among the initial batches of radio personalities groomed by the National Communications Network (NCN) when the Hinterland station was switched on in June 2016, was fired by the state agency after she posted a status on her mobile phone’s WhatsApp about the electricity woes at the town.
According to a resident of the town, two weeks ago, Minister within the Prime Minister’s Office, Kwame McCoy and other government officials visited the town. The town’s electricity supply runs from 05:00hrs until midnight, however, on the instruction of McCoy the power station operators were told to ensure that the generator operates 24/7 basis in order for him to see the light.
The following morning, a source at the power station told Village Voice, the generator broke down and this led to the town being without electricity for several days.
Reports are that King posted on her WhatsApp status that the woes maybe be linked to McCoy’s insistence that the power runs 24/7.
Persons at Mabaruma noted that one of King’s friends took a screenshot of her post and dispatched it to McCoy who kept a meeting with administrators of NCN for the announcer to be dismissed over her private post.
NCN’s CEO Michella Abraham-Ali pleaded with McCoy and other officials for King to remain on air. However, she told the announcer that the state entity was also informed that King’s parents are supporters of the APNU+AFC and that this is tied to her dismissal.
Residents of Mabaruma are up in arms over King’s dismissal, many noting that she captured the audience in the town with her programmes. She also came to prominence earlier this year when she interviewed medical officials in the town while the initial cases of COVID-19 were recorded there. A former female announcer , who was a vocal critic of the former government, is set to take her place.
Under the APNU+AFC administration, several radio stations were unveiled as part of a plan by the government of the day to keep residents in far flung areas informed.
Radio Lethem, Radio Orealla, Radio Mahdia, Radio Aishalton, Radio Essequibo and Radio Bartica are the other stations which were switched under the project overseen by former Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo.
