A group of notable Ghanaian personalities who have identified themselves as Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers has urged Ghanaians to boycott all mobile network services on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
This is part of series of protests to resist the ongoing SIM card re-registration process which they have described as illegal and inhumane.
The campaign dubbed, #NoCallsDay, will take place from 6:00 am to 12 noon on Tuesday and is expected to be joined by over 7,000 mobile network subscribers who have signed an online petition against the registration exercise.
The group, made up of Members of Parliament, members of Civil Society Organisations, media practitioners, and private legal practitioners, earlier called on the National Communications Authority (NCA) to cease the SIM re-registration exercise.
It argued that “any attempt to impose this [SIM card re-registration] on subscribers or block their lines would amount to an infringement on their property rights.”
“Following the failure of the NCA and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to address concerns associated with the legality and chaotic SIM-Re-registration Exercise, we the undersigned Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers, and the over 7,000 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 receive calls and all associated mobile network activities from 6:00am to 12 midday,” a release dated February 6 said.
Below are their demands:
- The NCA should immediately withdraw its directive for mobile network customers to re-register their SIM cards by 31st March, 2022.
- Appropriate legal framework must be in place for any directives for SIM re-registration to happen.
- 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.
- 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 (6:00am-6:00pm) boycott on Tuesday, 15th February and same every other Tuesday until the appropriate action is taken by the NCA & MNOs,” it said.
The release was signed by Ras Mubarak, Prof. Raymond Atuguba, Dr Kwesi Owusu, Hassan Ayariga, Franklin Cudjoe, Kofi Bentil, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Kofi Kakraba Pratt, Mrs. Mona Quartey, Samson Lardy Anyenini, James Afedo and Selorm Branttie.
Others are Francis Kofi Korankye-Sakyi, Manasseh Azure Awuni, Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, Amma Sarfo-Kantanka, Kwame Mfodwo, Michael Ofori – Akuffo, Dr Godfred Seidu Jassaw, Nana Kwaku Agyeman, Appiah Adomako and Sulemana Issifu.