By Gloria Anderson
Nine persons have dragged the National Communications Authority (NCA) to the High Court over its directives on SIM Card re-registration.
The NCA had given an ultimatum to mobile phone subscribers to re-register their phone numbers or risk having the numbers blocked by telecommunication companies.
Hearing has been fixed for October 6, 2022.
The applicants are Belynda Odey Hammond, Jennifer Elorm Dzikunu, Charity Mansah Afua N. Ackotia, Nsor Sabasi, Jospehine Annor Prempeh, Vida Delacy Kemovor, Regina Elikplim Dagadu, Irene Ayariga and Tracy Ashong.
The nine persons filed an application for judicial review of the Mobile Phone Sim Card re-registration directives describing it as punitive. Joined in the suit is the Attorney General.
The applicants are praying the Court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining their agent, workmen, contractors’ sub-contractors, associates deriving authority through the NCA from imposing any punitive measure/ sanctions, including deactivating, restricting, churning and or in any way or limiting them from using the mobile phone sims and network services until the final determination of the case.
According to the applicants, NCA acted beyond its jurisdiction when it issued the punitive directives requiring them to re-register their mobile phone sim with the Ghana Card as the only identity document on or before September 30.
In a writ filed on September 26, this year, the nine applicants who are customers of MTN, Airteltigo, and Vodafone, said they had applied for Ghana card between 2020 through 2022 but yet to receive them.
The applicants held that since the year 2008 when Act 750 was enacted, the NIA had not been able to register all Ghanaians and other persons entitled to be registered as mandated by law at any point in time.
According to the applicants, its registration process conducted in phases across the country continued to be fraught with technical, human, and funding challenges.
They opined that the process of registering and obtaining a Ghana Card was entirely out of their power and control and the same entirely rested on the process and mechanisms put in place by the National Identification Authority.
Meanwhile, the National Communication Authority says it is yet to receive the official suit. The Director of Legal Affairs at the NCA, Dr. Opoku Adusei says he is however aware of the pending cases against the NCA and the SIM Re-registration.