NDC Tackles Akufo-Addo Gov’t Over ‘Lawless’ SIM Re-registration Punitive Actions

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has gone hard on the Akufo-Addo government over the punitive actions being meted out to some SIM-card users over re-registration exercise. 

The opposition party is of the view the actions must cease without any further delay given what it feels is the lawless and arbitrary nature of the sanctions. 

“We are appalled that this objectionable impunity has reached an alarming point where the mobile SIM cards of innocent Ghanaians including those who have already undertaken the said reregistration are being restricted, thereby rendering many of our citizens incommunicado, helpless and frustrated”, the NDC said in a statement. 

Communications and Digitalization Minister, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, the National Communications Authority were particularly taken on by the NDC over what it says is the poor roll out of the re-registration exercise.

The NDC condemns in no uncertain terms this arbitrariness and recklessness on the part of the Minister of Communications and the NCA. Such mishandling and crass bungling of a simple exercise such as the ongoing SIM card re-registration can only be supervised by incompetent and clueless public servants like we have at the helm of the Ministry of Communications and the NCA”, the release signed by the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Aside Nketia read. 

The NDC wants the exercise discontinued demanding parliamentary intervention.

“While we commend and encourage legal actions filed by citizens of the country who have been affected by the reckless SIM Card restrictions, we call on the Parliament of Ghana, particularly the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications to call the Minister of Communications and the NCA to order in line with its oversight responsibility over these state entities. The lawlessness being displayed by the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu and the NCA must be halted now.”

Ghanaians with non-registered SIM cards have experienced restrictions in the use of their SIM cards from this week as part of punitive measures announced by the National Communications Authority (NCA).

The move, some stakeholders have argued as an infringement on the rights of Ghanaians.

Already, hundreds of customers massed up at the premises of the three major telecom companies to express worry over the punitive actions taken against them by the government.

Already, a pressure group, the People’s Project has sued the NCA and the Attorney-General (A-G) over the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise.

The group is asking the Supreme Court to declare the deadline for registration and the associated punitive measures for non-registration null and void.

It argues that the punitive measures are unconstitutional.

The suit follows the NCA’s announcement that unregistered sim cards will be blocked.

Member of the Communications Committee of Parliament, Sam George has also commenced the collation of data to file a class action suit against NCA over the sim card re-registration exercise.