Accra: The Minority in Parliament is calling for the immediate resignation of the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Mr. Sam Nartey George, over his handling of the recent standoff with MultiChoice, operators of DSTV in Ghana. The Minority accuses the Minister of allegedly misleading Ghanaians, wasting public resources, and abandoning his commitment to secure a 30 per cent reduction in DSTV subscription fees.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Charles Owiredu, Deputy Ranking Member on the Information and Communications Committee of Parliament, demanded that the Minister render an unqualified apology to Ghanaians for what he termed as a waste of the nation’s time and resources. During a press conference held at Parliament House in Accra, Mr. Owiredu further called on the Minister to refund the funds levied on DSTV and declared him unfit to lead the strategic Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation. The Minority also urged His Excellency the President to relieve Mr. George of his duties if he does not resign willingly.
The Minister initially advocated for a 30 per cent reduction in subscription fees but later described MultiChoice’s ongoing promotional campaign as a ‘generational success’ during a media engagement. The Minority, however, contended that the campaign was not a result of the Minister’s negotiations, but rather a standard practice by the company across several countries.
Mr. Owiredu emphasized that these promotional offers are not unique to Ghana and are unrelated to any negotiations led by the Minister. He alleged that the Minister, having failed to deliver on his promises, is now attempting to take credit for corporate marketing strategies.
Critiquing the Minister’s performance during committee engagements, Mr. Owiredu accused him of lacking the ability to effectively understand and communicate key issues. He claimed that the Minister’s inability to grasp key matters and communicate the true negotiated outcomes to Ghanaians, or worse, his alleged fabrication of negotiations, is evident.
In response to the controversy, MultiChoice Ghana issued a public clarification, expressing full support for the government’s announced DSTV value upgrade and apologized for a misleading FAQ on their website. The company has commenced implementing the value upgrade for all DSTV customers, with a review committee scheduled to meet in three months to assess the impact.