The deputy ranking member of Parliament’s Communications Committee, Sam Nartey George, has stated that the NDC will undergo yet another SIM card registration when they come to power.
He criticised the process, saying it was faulty since it forced subscribers to wait in long lines to have their SIMs registered. Sam George addressed the media to clarify that subscribers would not be required to visit the telecommunications operator’s offices in person as part of the proposed registration.
“We stand here on behalf of the people of Ghana to demand that the Minister of Communications take the rightful steps to ensure a clean register without disenfranchising Ghanaians, many of whom have the money for the feeding of their families stuck on their SIM cards. If that is all you needed to buy medication for a sick family member, you’ll realise the pain that Ursula has put people through.
“Again, let us be clear that it is not true that they are using this to fight crime. Don’t forget that the Ghana Card fundamentally is flawed, and that’s why we have served notice that the next NDC government will do a proper re-registration, which will not involve you having to go and cue in telecom offices, but we’ll do a proper re-registration of SIM Cards.”
Sam George, recently said that Speaker Alban Bagbin’s official SIM card, which is registered in the name of Parliament, has been deactivated despite being properly registered.
According to him, this demonstrates the problems with the NCA’s present approach to blocking SIM cards. While addressing the parliament, he stated that the exercise is having a significant economic impact on many professions, including the Speaker’s.
“We should have had this briefing today if possible because we are talking about over 8 million SIM cards having been disconnected, including even the SIM card of the Speaker of Parliament. His official SIM card was disconnected, even though it was registered in the name of the Parliament of Ghana. We have judges, we have lawyers, we have doctors, and MPs whose SIM cards were disconnected; even me, my SIM card was also disconnected,” Sam George said.
He said it was high time to admit that the National Identification Authority (NIA), particularly its regional offices, had failed to meet its obligations to give ID cards to those who had applied for them. He further stated that the authority has to come before the House to explain the long wait times for Ghana cards.
