The Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers, a group comprising notable Ghanaians, has issued an ultimatum to the National Communication Authority (NCA) demanding the withdrawal of the SIM card re-registration directive.

The group wants the directive for mobile network customers to re-register their SIM cards withdrawn immediately.

According to the group, “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 on their property rights.”

The re-registration of SIM cards officially kicked off on October 1, 2021. But since the beginning of this year, long queues have characterised the exercise at various centres across the country.

Many have called on government to extend the deadline as well as come up with alternatives that will not have citizens spend several hours in queues.

In response, the National Communications Authority (NCA) has promised that “there will be deeper collaboration to ensure that all associated challenges with the SIM Card re-registration exercise are addressed promptly”.

Despite the assurance, the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers insists that the directive should be rescinded for an appropriate legal framework to be put in place.

According to the group, “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.”

“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,” it added.

Should the NCA fail to meet their demands, the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers says it will on Tuesday, February 8, begin the first of a series of planned boycotts until the “rights of customers to be treated with dignity, are respected.”

Accordingly, the group has declared February 8 as “No Calls Day.” On the said day, Ghanaians will not make or receive phone calls.

The Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers comprises of notable Ghanaians including; former MP for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak, Legal Practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini, Investigative Journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, Founding President and Senior Vice-President of IMANI-Africa, Franklin Cudjoe and Kofi Bentil respectively.

The others are; Prof. Raymond Atuguba, Mr. Kofi Kakraba Pratt, Dr. Kwesi Owusu, Mr. James Afedo, Mr. Selorm Branttie, Mr. Francis, Kofi Korankye-Sakyi, Akyaaba Addai – Sebo, Mr. Kwame Mfodwo, and Mr. Michael Ofori-Akuffo.