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