Barring of calls: Actions of NCA, Communications Ministry arbitrary, lawless - NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has admonished Parliament of Ghana through its Select Committee on Communications to call the Minister of Communications and the National Communication Authority (NCA) to order.

The NDC wants the House to call them to order over the sanctions introduced as punitive measures to SIM card users yet to reregister their cards.

The party in a statement noted that the actions of the Minister and NCA have been arbitrary and lawless, having no constitutional backing whatsoever and thus must be halted.

“It is an indisputable fact that the re-registration of mobile SIM cards policy and its attendant sanctions that are being meted out to Ghanaians by the Ministry of Communications and the National Communications Authority are neither backed by the SIM Registration Regulations, 2011 (L.I 2006) nor the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012 (L.I 2111) or any law in force in the country," part of the release read.

“The decision by these entities to restrict the SIM Cards of Ghanaians including those who have already re-registered their SIM Cards is therefore unlawful, irresponsible and unacceptable to say the least,” it added.

They argued that the ministry and the NCA must be condemned for “such mishandling and crass bungling of a simple exercise such as the ongoing SIM card re-registration.”

For this reason, the NDC is demanding that Parliament’s Select Committee on Communications halts the actions of Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu and the NCA.

It added “While we commend and encourage legal actions filed by citizens of the country who have been affected by the reckless SIM Card restrictions, we call on the Parliament of Ghana, particularly the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications to call the Minister of Communications and the NCA to order in line with its oversight responsibility over these state entities.

“The lawlessness being displayed by the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu and the NCA must be halted now.”