Two years ago, the Director of Legal at the National Communications Authority (NCA), Dr. Poku Adusei, suggested that members of the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers use fax, telegrams, gong-gong, and talking drums if they choose not to re-register their SIM cards.

His comment comes after the group announced plans to boycott the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise and set February 8 for a nationwide protest called ‘No Calls Day’.

The Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers argued that there is no law in Ghana requiring subscribers to re-register their SIM cards and have demanded the withdrawal of the NCA's directive for re-registration by March 31, 2022.

However, Dr. Adusei countered this claim in a Facebook post, stating that Legislative Instrument 2006, Legislative Instrument 2111, and Executive Instrument 63 mandate the re-registration of SIM cards. He suggested that if the group refuses to comply, they may resort to traditional means of communication.

“We pray they resort to the use of fax, telegram, gong-gong, and talking drum henceforth."

“Claims that there is no law that requires SIM cards to be registered or re-registered is bogus to say the least. What law was their original SIMs registered under? Or they bought pre-registered SIMs? Even pre-registered SIMs are registered in someone’s name. Re-re…means there existed a law for the initial re-. Too many luminaries and agendapreneurs in this land. Concerned whoever should go and read L.I 2006, L.I. 2111 and E.I. 63 and come again,” he said in a Facebook post.

Dr. Poku Adusei, speaking to Emefa Apawu on Joy FM's Newsnight, noted that the system used for the re-registration will be improved to accommodate the increasing numbers of subscribers in the future.

“Going forward, the system will be improved and it’s being improved so it is going to deliver the outcome that we want but when lawyers speak in absolute terms as if they know all the laws of this country, I have pointed them to what they didn’t know and they should not talk about people’s stature in society,” he said.