…Says Mahama, Sam George ‘recycling’ her ideas
…Insists 80% of data already verified by 2025 Audit
THE former Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has launched a blistering counter-attack against the current administration, accusing President John Mahama and the sector minister, Mr. Samuel Nartey George, of peddling “falsehoods” to justify a redundant SIM registration exercise.
Breaking a year-long silence since leaving office, the former Minister described the government’s attempt to restart the registration process in 2026 as a dishonest move to “copy” her previous work while publicly condemning it.
In a strongly worded statement issued from her base and titled “Rebuttal Statement on SIM Registration Falsehoods,” Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful noted that it is “contradictory” for the government to claim her exercise was “empty” while simultaneously using an audit based on that same data to justify a new one.
The ‘Incontrovertible’ Fact
Addressing claims made by President Mahama during a recent tour of the Bono Region, the former Minister stated that the 2022-2023 exercise was a necessary fix for a broken 2010 system that lacked proper validation.
She maintained that every active SIM card currently operating on any mobile network in Ghana is already linked to a Ghana Card—a feat she described as an “incontrovertible fact”.
“You cannot condemn a process in the morning, copy it in the afternoon, and come back in the evening to claim you have invented something new,” she fired.
Audit Bombshell
The crux of the former Minister’s argument rests on a 2025 audit conducted after she left office. According to her, the audit proved that more than 80 percent of the facial biometrics captured during her tenure matched the National Identification Authority (NIA) database.
She argued that since the “major part of the work” is already done, the government only needs to verify the remaining 20 percent in what she calls “Stage 3” of the original plan, rather than forcing 30 million Ghanaians to start from scratch.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful further questioned the logic of the “fresh” exercise, pointing out that the current administration is using the exact same tools she introduced—shortcodes, self-registration apps, and smartphone-based biometrics.
The NIA Deadlock
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful also used the opportunity to clear the air on her professional relationship with the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Professor Ken Attafuah.
While admitting there were “disagreements” regarding the NIA’s refusal to allow the SIM registration system to connect directly to their database for real-time biometric verification, she denied any personal bad blood.
“I have known Professor Attafuah for many years and at no point in time did we ever stop speaking to each other,” she clarified, adding that she is “too professional” to let opinions interfere with national work.
‘Stubborn Academy’ and Sabotage
In a move that highlights the deep political divide over the digital exercise, the former Minister accused certain individuals of having “actively discouraged” Ghanaians from acquiring Ghana Cards in the past.
She took a swipe at critics who tagged themselves as the “Stubborn Academy” during her tenure, suggesting that the current effort to “denigrate” her work is a continuation of that sabotage.
Continuity or Vanity?
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful reminded the current government that “governance is a continuum” and that their duty is to build on progress rather than erase it for “cheap politics”.
She challenged the government’s stance on deadlines, noting that if they eventually introduce their own cut-off dates and extensions, they would simply be repeating the very actions they once criticized her for.
“If the previous method was so wrong, why are you repeating the same methodology, the same structure, and the same approach?” she quizzed.
Secure Records
The former Minister also assured the public that the SIM Registry database she compiled is not “missing” or “invalid” as alleged. She stated that the data is hosted securely at the National Data Centre by the National Electronic Transactions Regulator (NITA).
She concluded her statement with a traditional proverb, “Wo nyi m’aye a, mensei me din,” literally translating to: “If you won’t praise me, do not destroy my name”.
As the debate over the GH₵1.3 billion budget for the Communications Ministry continues to heat up, Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful’s rebuttal has placed the ball firmly in the court of Mr. Sam George and the Mahama administration to prove that this “fresh start” is not just an expensive “copy and paste” job.
