The vetting of President John Dramani Mahama’s Ministers-Designate took a dramatic twist yesterday when Alexander Afenyo-Markin the Member of Parliament for the Efutu Constituency locked horns with Samuel Nartey George, the Minister-designate for Communications.
Sam George who is also the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram Constituency was subjected to over five hours and ten minutes of grueling vetting mostly confronted with questions from his social media posts.
These post ranging from personal attacks on the political divide through to taking a swipe on Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, the Chief Justice Getrude Torkornu, Mrs Ursula Owusu- Ekuful, the Former Minister of Communication among other personalities of the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
Matters got to a head when the Minister- designate refused at various times of the vetting to retract and apologize for some offensive comments on social media even in the face of new emerging facts.
The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor finally edged out Afenyo-Markin in order to ‘rescue’ the unyielding Sam George against the wish of the Minority Leader of Parliament.
Mr. George defended his assertive communication style, stating that he is not disrespectful but merely firm in expressing his views.
Addressing concerns about his approach to public discourse, Mr. George insisted that his strong opinions should not be misconstrued as disrespect.
“I am not a disrespectful person. I have opinions, and I state them forcefully,” he affirmed.
He emphasised that his conviction and outspokenness were driven by a deep commitment to his principles and the national interest.
Anti-LGBTQ
Earlier, Sam George, pledged to ensure the reintroduction of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in Parliament, emphasizing its importance in protecting Ghanaian values and safeguarding children.
His comments come in response to President John Dramani Mahama’s recent suggestion that a government-sponsored bill would be more effective than the current Private Member’s Bill.
“My position is, that Bill [Anti-Gay] is a critical part of our national lives, Ghanaian family values, our innocent children must be protected. In this 9th Parliament, that Bill will be reintroduced. Either as a private member Bill or government Bill, I will work with the government, if it’s my bill I will bring it back again.”
Sam George’s remarks underscore his determination to push for legislative measures that reflect the moral and cultural values of Ghanaian society, aligning with the President’s call for a more structured approach to the issue.
SIM card re-registration
The Minister-Designate for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, also hinted of announced plans to implement a new SIM card registration process to address issues encountered during the previous exercise.
In 2022, the previous government conducted a SIM card re-registration, requiring cardholders to visit various NMO offices to link their SIM cards with their Ghana Cards. Failure to comply led to SIM card blockages or the withdrawal of essential services.
However, Mr. George criticized the previous government’s approach, particularly the long queues and inefficiencies faced by Ghanaians during the registration process.
He assured the committee that, under his leadership, the new SIM registration exercise would be more efficient and streamlined, leveraging technology to cross-reference data with the National Identification Authority (NIA) database.
This approach would eliminate the need for long queues and simplify the process for Ghanaians.
Ghana AI Hub
Mr. George further disclosed that he has set an ambitious goal to position Ghana as the leading hub for Artificial Intelligence in Africa by the end of 2028.
His vision, which aligns with the broader technological and economic aspirations of the government, seeks to harness the potential of AI, big data, cybersecurity, and digital transformation to propel Ghana to the forefront of Africa’s digital revolution.
By Kofi Yirenkyi
