The Minority in Parliament has called for the dismissal of Communications Minister Sam George, accusing him of misleading Ghanaians and mishandling negotiations with MultiChoice over DStv pricing.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 2, Deputy Ranking Member on the Communications Committee, Charles Owiredu, stated that the minister’s claim of securing a 30% price reduction on DStv subscriptions was false, as MultiChoice later clarified that the offer was only a temporary promotion.
According to Mr Owiredu, the incident showed “poor judgment and a lack of candour” on the part of the minister.
“His failure to grasp key issues during meetings and communicate the actual negotiated outcomes to Ghanaians or a deliberate fabrication of what he was never able to broker is evident,” he said.
“MultiChoice publicly challenged him for inaccurately claiming that there had been an agreed reduction in prices. They issued a press release denying this assertion.”
Mr Owiredu said the company’s latest clarification confirmed that the supposed breakthrough announced by the minister was only a promotional package.
He added that Sam George’s conduct demonstrated “a lack of temperament and emotional intelligence” for such a sensitive role.
He further accused the minister of sidelining regulators like the National Communications Authority (NCA) and adopting what he described as an “arbitrary decision-making posture” that threatens the growth of the digital industry.
The minority is also pressing the minister to account for fines he claimed to have imposed on MultiChoice during the standoff.
“The minister owes Ghanaians clarity on how much was collected, where the money is, and how it has been applied,” Mr Owiredu stated.
He added that Sam George’s actions amounted to “a breach of the president’s code of conduct that requires candour and respect to all persons.”
The minority stated three key demands: that the minister issue an apology to Ghanaians, provide full disclosure of the fines allegedly imposed on MultiChoice, and step down from his position or be dismissed by the President.
“For this display of ineptitude, incompetence, and penchant for deceit, we of the Minority demand that the minister render an unconfined apology to Ghanaians,” Mr Owiredu said.
“We deem him unfit to continue as Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation and therefore call on him to resign, or for the President to fire him.”
