Africa-Press – Ghana. The Majority side of the Information and Communications Committee of Parliament, has expressed full support for Mr Samuel Nartey George, Minister of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, over his handling of the recent standoff with MultiChoice, operators of DSTV in Ghana.
The group disagreed with the Minority’s call for the Minister’s resignation, led by the Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee, Mr Charles Asuako Owiredu, stating that the Minister acted within his mandate and had provided leadership to stabilize and guide the sector.
On Thursday, October 2, the Minority in Parliament called for the immediate resignation of the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, over his handling of the recent standoff with MultiChoice, operators of DSTV in Ghana.
The Minority accused the Minister of allegedly misleading Ghanaians, wasting public resources, and abandoning his commitment to secure a 30 per cent reduction in DSTV subscription fees.
“We of the Minority demand that, one, the Minister render an unqualified apology to Ghanaians for the waste of the nation’s time and resources on this venture,” said Mr Owiredu.
“Two, we call on him to refund the funds levied on DSTV. And three, we deem him unfit to lead this strategic Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, and therefore call on him to resign—or for His Excellency the President to relieve him of his duties,” he added.
Reacting to the call at a Press Conference on Friday in Parliament House, Accra, Mr Sulemana Adama, a Member of the Committee said the Majority side believed in dialogue and had instructed the Committee secretariat to invite MultiChoice and the Ministry for discussions on the way forward.
According to him, the Minister had implemented several reforms, including recovering broadcast frequencies, establishing a data pricing committee, and launching the One Million Codex programme.
“Given these achievements, the call for the Minister’s resignation is seen as unfounded. We urge Ghanaians to support the Minister in his efforts to improve the sector.
“The Majority Caucus urges Ghanaians to disregard the Minority’s criticism and support the Minister’s efforts to improve the sector,” he said.
The Minister had initially pushed for a 30 per cent reduction in subscription fees but later at a media engagement noted that MultiChoice’s ongoing promotional campaign was a “generational success.”
However, the Minority argued that this campaign was not a result of the Minister’s negotiations but rather a standard practice across several countries.
“It’s important to note that these promotional offers are standard across several countries and are not the result of any negotiations led by the Minister,” Mr Owiredu stated.
“This is someone who, having failed to deliver on his promises, is now seeking cover behind corporate marketing strategies,” he alleged.
Mr Owiredu, also the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Abirem, criticized the Minister’s conduct during committee engagements, accusing him of lacking “mental rigor” to effectively understand and communicate key issues.
“The Minister’s failure to grasp key issues during meetings and to communicate the actual negotiated outcomes to Ghanaians—or worse, his deliberate fabrication of what he was never able to broker—is evident,” he told the media.
In response to the controversy, MultiChoice Ghana issued a public clarification on Wednesday, October 1, stating that they fully supported the government’s announced DSTV value upgrade and apologized for a misleading FAQ published on their website.
The company had already started implementing the value upgrade, which applied to all DSTV customers, and a review committee will meet in three months to assess the impact.
For More News And Analysis About Ghana Follow Africa-Press
