Group sues NCA over punitive actions against unregistered SIM holders

Per a letter dated September 4, 2022, the NCA announced some punitive measures to be meted out to SIM holders who have yet not gone through the re-registration exercise.

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A group calling itself, The People’s Project has filed an action at the Supreme Court invoking its original jurisdiction against the National Communications Authority(NCA) for among others, a declaration that the penalties being meted out to unregistered sims even while not all Ghanaians have been issued with Ghana Cards, is arbitrary, capricious, unconstitutional and of no legal effect.

Per a letter dated September 4, 2022, the NCA announced some punitive measures to be meted out to SIM holders who have yet not gone through the re-registration exercise. It included among others, the inability of such unregistered SIM holders to make calls using their SIMs every two days in a week in order to compel them to register before the September 30 deadline proposed by the Communications Minister.

However per the Writ of Summons, the group indicates that the said directive by Mrs. Ursula Ekuful, the Communications Minister, made on July 31, 2022, while the NIA has not been issued cards to all Ghanaians, is arbitrary, capricious, abuse of discretion and unconstitutional per Articles 2, 23, and 296 of the Constitution, 1992.

Furthermore, the Peoples Assembly, led by Kwame Asare Obeng(A-Plus) wants the apex court to the effect that the NCA is estopped from blocking such SIMS until the NIA is able to issue Ghana cards to all Ghanaians.

Additionally, they want an order to be directed at the NCA to suspend all the punitive measures currently being meted out on unregistered SIM holders until the final determination of the suit.

And a further order of injunction at the NCA from executing the July 31 directive of the Minister, empowering them to block all unregistered SIMS by September 30, 2022, until the final determination of the suit.