Sam George, Abena Osei Asare clash over poor network service and delays in fixing faults

A tense confrontation unfolded at a sitting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, clashed with PAC Chairperson Abena Osei Asare over poor mobile network services and delays in addressing telecom challenges across the country.

The heated exchange occurred while the minister responded to concerns raised by committee members regarding persistent network disruptions, poor call quality and slow internet connectivity affecting telecom consumers nationwide.

During his submission, Sam George defended the government’s handling of the situation, arguing that while telecom operators are private businesses focused on profit-making, government policy intervention was necessary to protect consumers and improve service delivery.

“Private businesses are about making profit, and those profits they paid to you over eight years at the Finance Ministry as corporate taxes,” the minister stated.

“Policy direction and policy leadership ought to make sure that we took steps to protect the customer, and I’m saying that we, under this reset agenda and under a responsible government, have done so,” he added.

As the minister continued his explanation, PAC Chairperson and former Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei Asare interrupted and urged him to be concise and avoid turning the discussion into a political debate.

“Minister, I beg you,” she interjected.

The interruption immediately escalated tensions inside the committee room, with Sam George objecting strongly and insisting on his right to fully answer the committee’s questions.

“Honourable, I’m also a Member of Parliament, don’t do this. Please, I am on the floor; let me make my point,” he responded.

The Communications Minister accused some committee members of attempting to heckle him and derail his explanation.

“No, you won’t heckle me. Don’t play sentiment,” Sam George stated firmly.

Abena Osei Asare, however, denied heckling the minister and insisted the committee only wanted direct answers to the issues under discussion.

“We are tired of this politics,” she replied.

The disagreement intensified as both lawmakers repeatedly interrupted each other over parliamentary procedure and speaking rights.

At one point, the PAC Chair reminded the minister that the committee controlled proceedings.

“Minister, this is our committee, and you don’t tell us what we want to do,” Abena Osei Asare stated.

Sam George responded by insisting that invited ministers deserved the opportunity to fully answer questions without being interrupted.

“If it’s your committee, then don’t invite us. But if you invite us and ask us a question, you listen to us as well. It’s not a monologue,” he argued.

Despite the tense atmosphere, the Chairperson later attempted to calm the situation, clarifying that the committee’s intention was not to disrespect the minister but to express the seriousness of public frustration over poor telecom services.

“Minister, the situation is serious. Those are the sentiments I’m trying to carry across,” she explained.

Following the exchange, Sam George proceeded to outline measures being implemented by government and telecom operators to improve network quality across the country.

According to him, the Ministry had issued policy directives earlier this year compelling major mobile network operators to expand infrastructure and improve service delivery.

He disclosed that MTN is currently rolling out 800 new network sites, while Telecel is deploying an additional 350 sites nationwide.

“In total, we are looking at 1,150 new sites this year,” the minister revealed.

Sam George explained that telecom infrastructure expansion is a technical and engineering process that cannot be completed instantly, despite growing public pressure for immediate improvements.

He said telecom operators must first acquire sites, procure specialized equipment and complete regulatory approvals before installations can begin.

“Those are not things that are in a supermarket that you just go and buy,” he said.

According to the minister, most mobile network operators are expected to receive key Base Transceiver Station (BTS) equipment between July and August this year, after which installation and optimization work will intensify.

He stressed that the current administration’s intervention represents a significant increase in telecom infrastructure investment compared to previous years.

“From 2016, the average number of sites deployed annually was about 223. This year alone, we are doing 1,150 sites, which represents about a 500 percent increase,” he stated.

The Communications Minister expressed confidence that consumers would begin to experience noticeable improvements in mobile network quality by the end of the third quarter heading into the fourth quarter of the year.

“I am confident that by the end of Q3 going into Q4, we will see a remarkable improvement in the network,” he assured.

The PAC sitting highlighted growing public concern over poor telecommunications services in Ghana, with consumers frequently complaining about dropped calls, slow internet speeds and unreliable connectivity despite rising data and service costs.

The committee is expected to continue engaging regulators and telecom operators on measures aimed at improving service quality and protecting consumer interests.