Group urges Feb. 8 'No Calls Day' to protest SIM re-registration
A group of Ghanaians has called on the citizenry not to make or receive phone calls on Tuesday, 8 February 2022, as a way of registering their dissatisfaction with the government on the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise.
The group, which includes former member of parliament Ras Mubarak, journalists Samson Lardy Anyenini and Manasseh Azure Awuni, argued in a statement that no law in Ghana requires Ghanaian mobile network subscribers to “re-register” their SIM cards.
In the group’s view, any attempt to impose this on subscribers or block their lines would amount to an infringement of their property rights.
The group is demanding that the National Communications Authority (NCA) withdraw its directive for mobile network customers to re-register their SIM cards by 31 March 2022.
They noted that when the appropriate legal framework is in place, a re-registration exercise can be done without having subscribers spend productive hours and several days in long queues in the midst of a ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
Read their full statement below:
GHANAIANS TO BOYCOTT MOBILE PHONE NETWORKS
We, the undersigned Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers, having consulted Ghanaians across the country, have set aside Tuesday 8th February 2022 as a “No Calls Day.” On that day, we call on all Ghanaians not to make or receive phone calls as a way of registering our disquiet about the circus surrounding the SIM card re-registration exercise.
The No Calls Day boycott on 8th February would be the first in a series of national boycotts to protest against the current inhumane process of re-registration of SIM cards.
There is no law in Ghana that requires Ghanaian mobile network subscribers to “Re-register” their SIM cards.
Any attempt to impose this on subscribers or block their lines would amount to an infringement of their property rights.
Our demands are as follows:
(I) The National Communication Authority (NCA) should immediately withdraw its directive for mobile network customers to re-register their SIM cards by 31st March 2022.
(II) When the appropriate legal framework is in place, a re-registration exercise can be done without having subscribers spend productive hours and several days in long queues in the midst of a ravaging Covid-19 pandemic.
(II) There’s understandably a need to eliminate crime. But the fight against criminals must be within the law. We therefore demand that the NCA and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) must come up with a better and innovative way of re-registering the SIM cards by first amending existing law; and, secondly, to do so without the current inhumane re-registration process we are witnessing.
If the NCA and the MNOs fail to heed these demands, we shall, starting Tuesday, 8th February 2022 begin the first of a series of planned boycotts until the rights of customers to be treated with dignity are respected.
Signed:
Mr. Ras Mubarak
Prof. Raymond Atuguba
Mr. Kofi Bentil
Mr. Franklin Cudjoe
Mr. Kofi Kakraba Pratt
Dr. Kwesi Owusu
Mr. James Afedo
Mr. Selorm Branttie
Mr. Francis Kofi Korankye-Sakyi
Mr. Samson Lardy Anyenini
Mr. Manasseh Azure Awuni
Akyaaba Addai - Sebo
Mr. Kwame Mfodwo
Ms. Amma Sarfo-Kantanka
Mr. Michael Ofori - Akuffo
Mr. Kassim Alabani
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