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NCA’s ineffectiveness delaying Ghana’s internet restoration – Sam George
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The Deputy Ranking Member on the Communications Committee of Parliament, Samuel Nartey George, has attributed the delay in fully restoring internet connectivity to the ineffectiveness of the National Communications Authority (NCA).
Since Thursday, March 14, Mobile Network Operations (MNOs) have been disrupted, leaving many Ghanaians without internet connections.
On Monday, March 18, the NCA announced that MNOs will reassess their operations and consider prioritising and allocating more data resources to key stakeholders while working with the Subsea Cable Landing Service Providers to progressively improve internet data capacity.
The stakeholders include a wide range of entities such as the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Ghana Association of Banks (GAB), Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE), Central Securities Depository, Ghana Water Company Limited, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), MNOs, Subsea Cable Landing Service Providers, Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX), and the Accra Internet Exchange (AIX).
The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, also indicated in an update to Parliament that the government will immediately license satellite firms as a backup for network operators in the wake of the disruption in mobile network services.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr George pointed out that Cote d’Ivoire, which was the hardest hit, is faring better than Ghana because its regulator offered solutions.
Mr George argued that the NCA, as the regulator, was not living up to its task.
“Mr speaker, the cut happened off the coast of Cote d’Ivoire. Cote d’Ivoire was the most impacted country on Thursday. As we speak today, Cote d’Ivoire’s recovery is ahead of Ghana simply because their regulator had put in place the right mechanisms.
“In the case of AT, and if you ask what Cote d’Ivoire is doing, they are using MOVE. The MOVE operator cable. They immediately allowed all the other operators to pick it up on MOVE. When you speak about the success of AT, AT is simply able to carry traffic because they have redundancy using the Nigerian link. But is that not supposed to be a prerequisite for all the other operators in the country? Who is supposed to monitor that?”
“It is the regulator. So, if the regulator has slept on his job and today, we are found in this position, and then we want to raise our hands up in the air and say, oh, other countries that were affected have recovered and are recovering faster than Ghana because the regulators are proactive,” he stated.
Mr George further criticised the NCA for competing with the Ghana Chamber of Telecom instead of focusing on its task.
“Our regulator today is competing with the Ghana Chamber of Telecom. The Ghana Chamber of Telecom served the interest of the telecom companies and is their advocacy. The Ghanaian regulator is supposed to be the advocate for the rights. The NCA, the National Communications Authority, is supposed to be the advocate for the rights of Ghanaian citizens and customers.
“Therefore, updates that have been put out by the NCA are simply mirroring the statements of the chamber of Telecom. They don’t tell us what remedial actions regulatory policy are being put in place for the Ghanaian customer. They’re only telling us what the problems are. That is the language of the regulator. He’s going to tell you what the problems are. I am expecting the NCA to tell me what the solutions are, not what the problems are,” he said.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
