There is a turf war between Ursula Owusu and Ken Ataffuah – Edudzi alleges

According to Godwin Edudzi Kudzo Tamakloe, there is a turf war between the two over the control of some funds charged to institutions accessing the database of the NIA for identification and verification purposes.

"Do you know there is a turf war between her [Ursula Owusu-Ekuful] and Ken Attafuah? There is a turf war because when the Telcos access data from the National Identification Authority, they do what they call verification. The banks and all the other institutions do that, and do you know they pay some 0.5 or 50 pesewas when they conduct each verification? The control of that money is what has brought about this SIM card re-registration. Somebody wants to control that revenue.

"Ken Attafuah and the National Identification Authority want to control the money while Ursula Owusu also wants to control it through the National Communications Authority, and that is what has brought all the controversy," he alleged.

The allegation by Edudzi Tamakloe comes on the back of the extension of the July 31 deadline for the re-registration of SIM cards announced by the Minister for communications on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful stated that the extension had become necessary owing to various issues, including the challenges faced by thousands of people in acquiring a Ghana Card, which is the mandatory document required for registration.

Reacting to criticisms directed at her over the SIM registration exercise, the Minister at Sunday's press briefing said she was being unfairly attacked for people's inability to acquire the Ghana Card, which the NIA issues.

According to her, even though the Ghana Card is required to register SIM cards, challenges with the card fall under the National Identification Authority (NIA), which is under the Ministry of Interior.



"The Ministry of Communications and Digitalization is not the supervisory Ministry for the NIA even though we collaborate and work with them. My hapless self has been roundly vilified for Ghana card challenges which I am not responsible for.

"Prof. Attafuah and his Sector Minister, Ambrose Dery are available to answer any question," the Minister said during the press briefing.

The communications minister announced on Sunday that the sim-registration exercise will now end on September 30, 2022.

She further announced the rollout of a self-serving app that will allow people to register their SIM cards from their mobile phones at a fee of GHC5.

GA/SEA