A heated exchange erupted between Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George and Public Accounts Committee Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare during proceedings of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, May 18, over the persistent issue of poor network connectivity across the country.
The tense moment occurred while the minister was responding to questions on the quality of telecommunications services, particularly the performance of telecom giant MTN.
Presenting figures before the committee, Sam George disclosed that MTN rolled out 134 new network sites in 2016, 352 in 2017, 300 in 2018, and 352 in 2019. According to him, the numbers declined significantly in recent years, with only 30 sites added in 2024 and 50 in 2025.
He, however, stated that government directives issued this year had compelled telecom operators to scale up infrastructure expansion.
“With our directive this year, they are doing 800 new sites,” he told the committee.
But Abena Osei-Asare questioned whether the investments being made by MTN matched the revenue the company generated from subscribers.
“So with all this that is going on, the monies that they get from users, is it commensurate with the infrastructure that they are building? Absolutely no,” she argued.
The PAC Chairperson further expressed frustration over poor connectivity in her constituency, saying residents struggled to make MTN calls.
“In my constituency, minister, it’s like you just cannot make an MTN call,” she stated.
Responding, Sam George insisted the current administration was dealing with the effects of years of inaction in the telecom sector.
“Madam Chair, we are dealing with a decade of rot and lack of action,” he said, adding that telecom companies naturally prioritize profits unless regulators enforce stricter standards.
The exchange became increasingly heated after the minister accused some committee members of interrupting him while he attempted to respond.
“If it’s your committee, then don’t invite us. But if you invite us to ask us a question, if you ask us a question, you listen to us as well. It’s not a monologue,” Sam George remarked during the proceedings.
Abena Osei-Asare, however, maintained that the committee was only emphasizing the seriousness of the situation facing Ghanaians.
“When you come here and we address issues, it is not that we want to talk anybody down, never. But minister, the situation is serious,” she responded.
The Communications Minister later explained that although directives had been issued for telecom operators to improve their networks, the process involved technical and logistical procedures that could not produce immediate results.
According to him, MTN is expected to roll out 800 new sites while Telecel is set to add 350 sites this year.
“Serious situations require serious actions,” he said, noting that equipment procurement and installation take time before consumers begin to experience improvements in service quality.
Following the tense exchange, Sam George downplayed suggestions of hostility between himself and Abena Osei-Asare, describing her as a friend.
“Abena is a friend and maybe that’s part of the reason why our exchanges are very heated, because we do this in our regular conversations,” he said after the session.
The minister added that tough questioning was part of parliamentary oversight and acknowledged that he had similarly scrutinized ministers when he previously served on the committee.
“I’ve sat on this committee for eight years. I’ve been someone that has toughly questioned people. And I know that my colleagues are only returning the favor for what I did to NPP ministers,” he stated.
Sam George stressed that there were no hard feelings after the exchange, revealing that the lawmakers were in good spirits after the session.
“You saw after the program, the three of us huddling together and laughing. No hard feelings, no bad blood. I’m going to join them for lunch,” he added.
