Telcos cannot block your number for failing to re-register your SIM card – Ras Mubarak
Former legislator for Kumbungu Ras Mubarak is leaving no stone unturned in criticism of the ongoing sim card re-registration as he has said that, the National Communication Authority and the telecommunication companies cannot block sim cards of owners who refuse to register.
He reiterated that the said exercise being done by the NCA lacks proper grounding in law, he’s thus discouraging Ghanaians from joining long queues in a bid to register their sim cards.
Ras Mubarak who is among the prominent Ghanaians opposing the registration said “If you have not re-registered your sim, do not waste your time. Neither the NCA nor the Telecos can block your SIM after 31st March. The re-registration is an affront to our constitution.”
Prof Raymond Atuguba has also raised some objections about the ongoing exercise.
He explained that the National Identification Authority (NIA) is rather the one that has the power under the laws of Ghana to carry out such mandate.
The professor who is also among the group of prominent Ghanaians who initially boycotted the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on Tuesday, February 8 as part of their protests against the registration exercise said “As far as I know it is the NIA that has the legal mandate to capture such data and store it.
“That mandate has not, legislatively, been given to the telecommunications companies, it has not legislatively, been given to even the NCA or the National Information Technology Agency (NITA). NITA’s functions do not include holding the biodata of citizens of this country.”
The group opposed to the registration exercise had earlier raised some issues expecting that the 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 MNOs.
Its earlier statement said “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 6 am 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 are concerns raised by the group; reiterating the fact 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 (6 am – 6 pm) boycott on Tuesday 15th February, and same every other Tuesday until the appropriate action is taken by the NCA & MNOs.
Signed by
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.
