The Minority Caucus in Parliament walked out of the House after a ruling by the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, over proceedings on the government’s proposed SIM card re-registration exercise.
The dispute centred on whether a ministerial statement on the planned exercise should proceed before the responsible minister answered questions from Members of Parliament.
Following the ruling, the Minority left the chamber in protest while parliamentary business continued. The Deputy Speaker ruled that the ministerial statement could proceed under Parliament’s Standing Orders.
The Minority disagreed with that decision. Its members argued that the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations should first respond to questions about the proposed policy before presenting a formal statement. The Deputy Speaker maintained his ruling, and proceedings continued.
Minority members said the House should exercise its oversight role before considering the statement. They argued that Parliament needed answers on the proposed SIM re-registration exercise before moving to the next stage of discussion.
The walkout reflected the caucus’s disagreement with the parliamentary procedure adopted during the sitting.
The Majority remained in the chamber after the Minority exited. Parliament continued with its scheduled business following the Deputy Speaker’s ruling. The ministerial statement proceeded in line with the decision from the Chair.
The government has indicated that it plans another SIM card re-registration exercise. Officials say the initiative is expected to strengthen the integrity of Ghana’s telecommunications database and support national security efforts.
The full details of the proposed exercise are expected to emerge through parliamentary discussions and official government announcements.
Debate over the proposed SIM re-registration programme is expected to continue in Parliament.
Members from both sides are likely to raise questions about implementation, timelines and the impact on mobile phone users.
The parliamentary process will provide further opportunities for scrutiny before any policy decisions are finalised.
