Ghana: Minority MPs Vow to Block Controversial 5G License Deal

3 June 2024
The Accra Times (Accra)
By Nii Marmah Boye

Minority in Parliament, led by Ato-Forson has vowed to prevent the 5G license recently awarded to New Gen Infraco

The government's decision to grant a 5G license to NextGen InfraCo has raised concerns among the opposition in Parliament.

In the view of the Minority, the deal is not transparent and doesn't reflect the country's best interest. The NDC MPs, in a press release signed by the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and released on Monday, June 3, 2024, pledged to block the deal.

The statement pointed to past contracts awarded by the current government that have led to a wasteful use of state resources, fueling their doubts regarding the NextGen InfraCo agreement.

The Minority MPs vowed to demand answers and ensure accountability, pledging to scrutinize the deal in the coming days to reveal its secretive details and potential implications on Ghana.

"The regulatory framework and operational modalities and guidelines for this opaque arrangement have not been clearly defined by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, which appears to be in an indecent haste to give away the country's 5G spectrum for a pittance," an excerpt of the statement read.

The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, subsequently defended the government's decision to award the 5G contract to NextGen InfraCo.

Ursula said this in a news conference on May 30, 2024, at the back of investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni raising issues with the contract awarded to Next Gen Infraco Ltd. by the Communications Ministry to roll out Ghana's 5G infrastructure.

"This is a special purpose vehicle and once the government took the decision that we will use a neutral infrastructure company to deliver this service, there is no existing neutral infrastructure company that can deliver it at the moment. So, it had to be specifically formed for the purpose of delivering this service based on the strategic policies and decisions of the government, and it is borne out of our experiences and that is why we chose not to auction," Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said.

Read the original article on Accra Times.

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