Use fax, telegrams, gong-gong and drums if you don’t want to re-register SIM card – NCA lawyer

Director of Legal at the National Communications Authority (NCA), Dr Poku Adusei, has asked members of the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers to resort to fax, telegrams, gong-gong, and talking drums, if they do not want to re-register their SIM cards.

His comment follows the notice by members of the group to boycott the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise.

The group has set aside February 8, to embark on a nationwide protest dubbed ‘No Calls Day’.

According to the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers, there is “no law in Ghana that requires Ghanaian mobile network subscribers to “re-register” their SIM cards.”

The group among other things wants the NCA to immediately withdraw its directive for mobile network customers to re-register their SIM cards by March 31, 2022.

But in a Facebook post, Dr. Poku Adusei argued that the claim that there is no law that requires SIM cards to be re-registered is bogus.

He contended that the Legislative Instrument 2006, Legislative Instrument 2111 and Executive Instrument 63 warrants the re-registration of SIM cards.

He, therefore, hoped that members of the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers will resort to primeval means of communication.

“We pray they resort to the use of fax, telegram, gong-gong, and talking drum henceforth.”

“Claims that there is no law that requires SIM cards to be registered or re-registered is bogus to say the least. What law was their original SIMs registered under? Or they bought pre-registered SIMs? Even pre-registered SIMs are registered in someone’s name. Re-re…means there existed a law for the initial re-. Too many luminaries and agendapreneurs in this land. Concerned whoever should go and read L.I 2006, L.I. 2111 and E.I. 63 and come again,” he said in a Facebook post.

Speaking to Emefa Apawu on Joy FM’s Newsnight, Dr Poku Adusei noted that the system used for the re-registration will be improved moving forward to accommodate the increasing numbers of subscribers.

“Going forward, the system will be improved and it’s being improved so it is going to deliver the outcome that we want but when lawyers speak in absolute terms as if they know all the laws of this country, I have pointed them to what they didn’t know and they should not talk about people’s stature in society,” he said.