MPs want Communications Minister to brief parliament over internet outage

Members of Parliament (MPs) want the Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to brief the House on Monday, March 18 on the disruption in mobile network services across the country.

The National Communications Authority (NCA) alerted the public on Thursday March 14, 2024, about multiple undersea cable disruptions that had adversely impacted mobile and fixed data across the country.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, March 15, the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the Minister must be summoned to apprise Parliament on measures being taken by the government to address the national security threat.

“The Ghana Telecommunication Chamber and the telecos have all issued statements pleading with their subscribers to bear with them. They say that there have been multiple submarine fibre optic cables disruptions in the high seas, and we do not know the extent of the distractions, and this is a national security issue.

“I want to appeal that the Communications Minister come to tell us what the government is doing to help restore normalcy so that we can have access to the internet and our data services,” he stated.

Sarah Adwoa Safo, the MP for Dome-Kwabenya also expressed the need for the government to update the country on measures taken to restore services.

“Members of our constituencies are equally worried as we are, especially with the mobile money operators. So, I will plead with the Majority Leader to schedule the Minister for Communication to come and rightfully and thoroughly address the House on the issues that are at stake, so that we can understand it better,” she stated.