The MP for Ningo-Prampram constituency Hon. Samuel Nartey George has schooled the minister for communications once again. In his latest post intercepted by CitizenOne, the NDC MP mocked the minister for commissioning a rural telephony service in a typical village with a population not up to 500 inhabitants.
Sam George reminded the minister that a handful of people in Kwadum near Sefwi where the infrastructure was built had Ghana Card as at the time she went there for the commissioning. Meanwhile the nearest National Identification Authority office is several miles away. He said in less than a month, Hon. Ursula Owusu would have to go back to the same community to pull down the mast because no one will be using it.
“So I am excited that we are finally seeing the commissioning of some of these rural telephony sites. It is a great step in ensuring universal access in the Country.
I only hope the Minister checked how many people in the community have a Ghana Card to enable them register their soon to be acquired or already acquired SIM cards.
Or after celebrating the inauguration of the site, she would deactivate their SIMS because the nearest NIA office may me tens of miles away?
Policy coherence is an integral part of policy formulation and implementation.”
Earlier, Hon. Ursula Owusu Ekuful had described how gratifying she was after commissioning the project in the western regional community, Nkwadum. She said the new telephony mast will expand the digutalization agenda of the President. She encouraged the people to have their SIMs registered with the Ghana Card so they can enjoy the services being offered.
“August 4, 2022, I commissioned a Rural Telephony site at NKwadum in the Sefwi Akontombra Constituency to enable the people have access to connectivity.
In order to provide basic telephone voice and data connectivity to underserved and unserved communities, the government has started construction of 2,016 cell sites under GIFEC’s Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project. This is in line with the government’s digitalization agenda, which aims to create a strong digital economy and sustainable development throughout the country.
Extending connectivity is capital-intensive and expensive, hence these remote villages would hae been blocked off and unable to take part in the digital revolution that is progressively taking place in the country if not for government’s intervention.
The Phase 1’s rollout of the project is still proceeding and that all 2,016 sites should be operational and commissioned by 2023.
It was fulfilling to watch The Nkwadum Manhene Nana Owusu Kwao Tawiah II sang songs of thanksgiving to the government. He recounted the struggles of the inhabitants to access connectivity in the past. He therefore pledged to protect the site from any deliberate physical destruction”, she concluded.
Meanwhile the ministry of communication and digitalisation is yet to fulfill its promise of launching a self service application for SIM Card Registration as promised. Extending the deadline from July 31st to September 31st, Hon. Ursula Owusu Ekuful said the ministry was coming with a self service app which will allow SIM users to register themselves at the comfort of their homes without going to the telcos. She said this was going to be done by the 2nd of August. But 10 days after that date, nothing has happened.
Ghanaians are beginning to raise questions as to whether that will actually happen.
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