The Minority in Parliament says there could be national security implications if the deadline for the ongoing re-registration exercise of SIM Cards is not extended.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Thursday, July 28, Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament Samuel Nartey George urged President Akufo-Addo to instruct the Minister in charge of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to rescind the decision not to extend the deadline.
“We wish to assure the telecom companies operating in our jurisdiction that as a minority, we are concerned about their well-being and operations for anything that affects their operations affects their workers who are constituents. We can assure them that the minority caucus will continue to use all means available to us and Parliament to ensure that their operations are not affected by poor policy decisions taken by persons at the helm of affairs today.
“And we hope that within the next 24 to 48 hours reason would apply. I want to use this means to call on His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to instruct his Minister for Communications and Digitalisation to rescind her decision on the deadline as it holds potential national security implications for millions of Ghanaians who have not been able, due to no fault of theirs. We urge the President and the national security minister to take cognizance of the fact that millions of Ghanaians earn a living by use of their SIM cards on a daily basis,” Sam George told the media.
The Ningo Prampram MP added that as a minority caucus, they will use all lawful methods at their disposal to ensure constituents and citizens are not deprived of using their SIM Cards after the July 31 deadline.
Speaking at a forum by the National Communications Authority (NCA) in Kumasi on July 22, Communications and Digitalisation Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful charged all Ghanaians who have not registered their SIM Cards with the Ghana Card to do so before the deadline day of July 31.
She warned that the Ministry is sticking to the deadline as part of its drive to deal with fraudsters in the system.
“Most people access their internet through their mobile devices. We must make sure that they do so safely. We must make it difficult for the criminals who hack our systems and defraud us through multiple online channels to operate, and this SIM registration exercise is one of the steps the government is taking in that regard. Essentially this stresses the point that this exercise will enable the establishment of a subscriber database with integrity to keep the consumers safe from scams and fraud.
“I, therefore, take this opportunity to urge all those who’ve not registered their SIM cards to do so as the deadline of 31st July 2022 will not be extended,” she noted.
