SIM Card Restriction: ‘We Empathise With Those Who Got Wrongly Affected’ – NCA

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has empathised with subscribers who have been affected by the restriction of SIM functions even though they have duly registered their SIM cards and have their BCap indicating ‘yes’.

Dr. Poku Adusei, Director of Legal Affairs at the NCA, in an interview indicated that it is an error for such subscribers to have their SIMss restricted since they do not fall within the purview of the punitive measures announced.

He explained that even though the NCA issued the directive for SIM cards to be barred, the Authority cannot be blamed for such an error which affected registered SIMs.

“We empathise with those who got wrongly affected even though they have done the first and second stages and they are able to verify by using the shortcode to confirm that. For such persons, it is an error to have their SIM cards blocked and anytime those come to our attention we are able to communicate with the network operators because it is not in the purview of NCA for any blockage to take place. It is rather the telecom operators,” he said

Dr. Adusei further indicated that, “the telcos were implementing the policy that if the person has not registered, there should be certain categorization so that in a day or two, those persons will not be able to make calls and it did not mean that if you have registered fully that should apply to you.”

He, however, urged persons who have fully registered and have had their SIM card barred to report to the various telecommunication companies for a resolution.

“We have not rested at all. We have been on it throughout, replacing private contacts here and there. We have been working with the telcos. There is a technical team that the telcos are working with us on and these matters are being resolved all over the country,” Dr. Adusei stressed.

Meanwhile, Kwame A Plus has dragged the NCA and the Attorney General to the Supreme Court over the reregistration of the SIM cards.

In his writs, A Plus is seeking “A declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Articles 2, 23, and 296 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the directive by the Minister for Communication, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful on Sunday, July 31, 2022, that the 1st Defendant will ensure that all SIM cards that are not re-registered by 30th September 2022 will be blocked while the National Identification Authority has not been able to issue the Ghana card, which is the only card to be used for the said re-registration exercise to all Ghanaians is arbitrary, capricious, amounts to an abuse of discretion and same is unconstitutional, null, void and of no legal effect.”