‘Being strong doesn't mean being autocratic' – A Plus tells Ursula Owusu over SIM Card restriction

Kwame Asare Obeng, musician cum political activist, alias Kwame A Plus, has chastised Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, for refusing to heed calls to suspend sanctions on unregistered SIM cards.

According to him, the leadership style of the Minister is not helping

Read full article.matters.

“Her leadership style can be described as a bit autocratic. Being strong does not mean being autocratic” A Plus said in a Joy News interview.

A Plus' comments come after the Minister's September 7, 2022, post on her verified Facebook account.

She wrote in her post that "I informed the media during my most recent meeting that the SIM registration exercise would not be extended past September 30. After evaluation at the end of August, it has been determined that starting the disciplinary steps outlined in the NCA press release is prudent.

"Additionally, any SIM that has not yet been completely registered will be unable to use voice and Internet services. Afterwards, using unregistered SIMs will be more expensive. At a subsequent press conference in September, the full scope of the sanctions will be revealed. If you suffer that fate as a result of your own inaction, kindly do not blame your service provider. To be forewarned is to be forearmed."

This, A Plus thinks was an unfortunate statement coming from a person who is being paid with the taxpayers' money. To him, the Minister cannot be in a position of privilege and go ahead to blame the citizens for their inability to register their SIM cards with the mandatory Ghana Card.

"I think that it is unfortunate, you cannot be in a position and always want to blame the people...the blame must be on the minister and her ministry. We don't have to scream and use insulting words to make this very simple statement and the minister must know this," he stated.

A Plus, who has dragged the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Attorney-General (A-G) to court over the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise, believes that Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is sometimes overwhelmed with the position she copies.

"She cannot blame the people...When people are put in position, they must [be held accountable]. I think the Communications Minister...must be talked to," he stressed.

A Plus at the Supreme Court wants “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.”

PEN/SARA