Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has reacted to the decision by the National Communication Authority to block unregistered sim cards.
He said the NCA cannot block sim cards of persons who fail to partake in the sim re-registration.
The NCA gave a directive on the blockage of unregistered cards owned by individuals at the end of March 31, 2022.
The directive requires that all sim cards be re-registered with Ecowas cards, also known as the Ghana Card.
But, Mr George, while sharing his view on the exercise on Accra-based TV station, Metro TV, opined that such directive from the NCA was illegal.
According to him, there is only one law that regulates sim card registration which is LI 2006.
“In fact, the LI 2006 is called the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) registration Legislation Instrument 2006. It is the only law in this country that mandates sim card registration,” he observed.
He argued that the LI 2006 only mandates sim card registration and not sim re-registration hence the exercise was unlawful.
Making his submission on why people queue up for the re-registration of sim cards, he said: “People are scared because of the threats from the Minister of Communication”.
He said the government could be sued if it took any steps to block unregistered sim cards.
“It is hot air, it won’t happen; there is no law backing that [sim re-registration]. On the 1st of April, people who have not registered will have their sim cards. Ghana is not a banana republic,” he stressed.
Opinion leaders, pressure groups as well as the President of IMANI Africa, had earlier called on Ghanaians not to re-register their sim cards, saying the exercise was unlawful.