The Minister of Information John Tia Akologu has stated that there was nothing wrong with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation broadcasting live the National Democratic Congress (NDC's) National Delegates Congress held in Sunyani for free as it was part of its Social Responsibility to the nation. “This was a national event affecting our democracy; affecting the nature of our politics, affecting our daily lives in this country. The GBC has social responsibility; a moral responsibility to let the people know what was happening,” Mr. Tia Akologu stressed. The government and the ruling party have been accused of hijacking the state broadcaster for its National Delegates Congress over the weekend and failing to pay the resulting fee. Government has also been accused of using its officials to host GTV’s live coverage of the event when journalists working at the state broadcaster could have done that. But speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday, Mr. Tia Akologu explained that his attention had been drawn to the debt that the party owes GTV and that he was going to ensure that the debt is paid. He however believes that there is nothing wrong with GBC broadcasting the event live as other media organisations did that without any payment. “I know of some stations that covered this event free of charge. Free of charge just to boost their images. GBC could have done the same." He said Ghanaians expect that as a state broadcaster, GBC broadcasts programmes that inure to the benefit of the nation and the NDC Congress was one of such events. "The Law says that be fair to all parties so if the GBC had done this thing for free for NDC, then they are obliged to do same for other parties,” he stated. Mr. Tia Akologu noted that the party was not given any special dispensation by the GBC but whatever they got was as a result of well negotiated terms between the party and the corporation, adding, “deferred payment or delayed payments does not amount to free service so I don’t see where the NPP is coming from.” “Is there anything wrong for a political party to owe an institution? If they are saying that the party didn’t pay for some service sometime ago therefore this coverage too is free, are they right?” he queried. He said government was not going to run down GBC for any reason and that there is no reason to do so because the GBC was a state-subvented organisation and the government was fully responsible for paying workers and maintaining the equipments. “We will ensure that GBC functions and operates very well so they should separate the government from political parties,” insisting that “whether it is six months or one year, I know that it will be paid.”