By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Minority in Parliament has accused the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, of conflict of interest in the ongoing restructuring arrangement between AT Ghana and Telecel Ghana.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Information and Communications Committee, Matthew Nyindam, alleged that the Minister’s personal interests and political ties had compromised the transparency and integrity of the transaction.
According to the minority, the minister has been “actively facilitating” the deal between the two telecom companies while allegedly benefiting from lobbying and private sponsorships linked to Telecel.
“We are not oblivious of the new-found relationship between the Minister and Telecel,” the Minority said in a statement.
“We take notice of the lobbying and the private gains this transaction presents to the Minister. We take notice of MTN funding the Dzata Foundation, which is linked to the Minister. We equally take notice of the Minister directing Telecel to sponsor the Homowo festival in his constituency for the first time, the same way he announced the supposed takeover of AT by Telecel with his participation. If this cannot be described as a conflict of interest, we don’t know.”
The caucus also criticised what it called a “lack of transparency and consistency” in the Minister’s handling of the process, insisting that the deal had bypassed parliamentary oversight.
They argued that any transaction involving the sale, merger, or acquisition of a national asset such as AT Ghana must receive parliamentary approval, a requirement they claim the minister ignored.
“The current situation has made it increasingly clear that there are deep-seated doubts, contradictions, and confusion surrounding the entire plan for AT, largely because it has been shrouded in secrecy and characterised by a glaring lack of transparency,” the statement added.
The minority described the planned deal as “technically, operationally, and financially unconscionable,” warning that Telecel’s reported $400 million debt exposure poses significant risk to Ghana’s telecom sector.
They further alleged that the arrangement amounts to an “unholy colonisation” of AT Ghana by Telecel, threatening competition and endangering jobs.
Despite this clarification on the matter by the minister in September, the minority maintains that the minister’s conduct and alleged ties to Telecel warrant a full-scale parliamentary investigation to safeguard national interests and preserve the integrity of Ghana’s telecommunications sector.
