Franklin Cudjoe, 19 others call on Ghanaians to boycott phone calls over ‘illegal’ SIM registration

Twenty two prominent Ghanaians have called on their compatriots to boycott phone calls on Tuesday February 8 to register their concerns against the ongoing SIM card registration exercise.

According to them, there is no law backing the exercise hence should be stopped.

They had earlier raised this issue hoping that the National Communications Authority (NCA) would act on them. But they said in a statement on Sunday February 6 that the NCA had failed to do so hence, the decision to boycott the Mobile Network Operators (MNO).

“Following the failure of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to address concerns associated with the legality and chaotic Sim-Reregistration Exercise, we the undersigned Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers, and the over 7000 online petitioners, call upon our fellow countrymen and women to join our campaign for a #NoCallsDay boycott of the MNOs on Tuesday 8th February 2022.

“On Tuesday, we are appealing to Ghanaians and all mobile network users within Ghana not to make and or received calls and all associated mobile network activities from 6am to 12midday.

“The #NoCallsDay boycott on 8th February, would be the first in a series of national boycotts to protest against the illegal and inhumane process of re-registration of SIM cards.”

Below is a lost of their concerns; that the SIM card re-registration exercise is;
(I) Illegal

(II) The NCA should immediately withdraw its directive for mobile network customers to re-register their SIM cards by 31st March 2022.

(iii) Appropriate legal framework must be in place for any directives for sim re-registration to happen

(IV) A demand for the NCA and MNOs to come up with a better and innovative way of re-registering the SIM cards without the current chaotic and inhumane re-registration process we are witnessing up and down the country.

(V) The NCA should direct the MNOs to stop using private phones of employees to collect subscribers’ biometric data.

Our next line of action after Tuesday 8th February, if the concerns raised above remain would be a full day’s (6am – 6pm) boycott on Tuesday 15th February, and same every other Tuesday until the appropriate action is taken by the NCA & MNOs.

Signed:

Hon. Ras Mubarak
Prof. Raymond Atuguba
Dr. Kwesi Owusu
H. E. Hassan Ayariga
Mr. Franklin Cudjoe
Mr. Kofi Bentil
Mr. Gyedu Blay Ambolley
Mr. Kofi Kakraba Pratt
Hon. Mrs. Mona Quartey
Mr. Samson Lardy Anyenini
Mr. James Afedo
Mr. Selorm Branttie
Mr. Francis Kofi Korankye-Sakyi
Mr. Manasseh Azure Awuni
Akyaaba Addai – Sebo
Ms. Amma Sarfo-Kantanka
Mr Kwame Mfodwo
Mr Michael Ofori – Akuffo
Dr. Godfred Seidu Jassaw
Nana Kwaku Agyeman
Mr. Appiah Adomako
Mr. Sulemana Issifu