A heated confrontation erupted at yesterday’s sitting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) between the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, and PAC Chairperson, Abena Osei Asare, over poor telecom service delivery and delays in addressing network challenges.
The tension began when the minister responded to concerns raised by committee members regarding persistent poor network services and the slow pace of improvements.
Defending government efforts, Sam George argued that strong policy direction was necessary to protect consumers despite the profit-driven nature of private telecom companies.
“Private businesses are about making profit, and those profits they paid to you over eight years at the Finance Ministry as corporate taxes. Policy direction and policy leadership ought to make sure that we took steps to protect the customer, and I’m saying that we, under this current administration and under a responsible government, have done so,” he stated.
As he continued his submission, the PAC Chairperson attempted to interrupt and urged him to go straight to the point, triggering a sharp exchange between the two lawmakers.
Clearly displeased, the Ningo-Prampram MP fired back: “Honourable, I’m also a Member of Parliament; don’t do this. I am on the floor; let me make my point.”
When the Chairperson insisted that committee members were tired of politics and wanted direct answers, the minister accused her of heckling him.
“You won’t heckle me. Don’t play sentiment,” he shot back.
The exchange intensified as Sam George described the Chairperson’s conduct as “unruly” and “unbecoming of a Member of Parliament.”
Abena Osei Asare, however, maintained that the committee only wanted concise responses and denied attempting to talk down to the minister.
At one point, the PAC Chair reminded the minister that he did not have the floor, but Sam George insisted otherwise.
“You have asked me a question; I have the floor. You will let me answer the question. You won’t do that today, Abena. Let me finish,” he said.
The Chairperson later appealed for calm, stressing that the committee’s concerns were driven by the seriousness of the network challenges facing Ghanaians and not personal attacks.
Responding to the substantive issue, the minister disclosed that government policy directives issued earlier this year had compelled telecom operators to significantly expand infrastructure nationwide.
According to him, MTN is rolling out 800 new network sites this year, while Telecel is adding 350 sites, bringing the total to 1,150 new sites.
He explained that the process involves technical and logistical procedures, including site acquisition and procurement of specialised radio equipment from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which takes time.
“These are not things you simply pick from a supermarket shelf,” he said.
Sam George further revealed that most Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are expected to receive critical BTA equipment between July and August.
He expressed confidence that noticeable improvements in network quality would begin to reflect by the end of the third quarter into the fourth quarter of this year.
“We cannot sit here and expect these things to happen with the snap of a finger. It takes time,” the minister stressed.
He added that the planned rollout represents nearly a 500 per cent increase in network expansion efforts compared to the average of 223 sites annually over the past decade.
