SIM re-registration is job for party footsoldiers — Opoku Mensah

A member of the communication team of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Opoku Mensah, has claimed that the government’s planned SIM re-registration exercise is being used to financially sustain party footsoldiers rather than strictly for data collection and national security purposes.

Questioning the need for a fresh exercise, Mensah pointed out that the existing SIM verification system remains functional.

“The process for verification is still active with the code *402# active for SIM card verification. With just your Ghana Card Number and date of birth, every SIM that was registered with your Ghana Card will pop up. Why the need for new SIM registration?” he asked.

In a candid remark, he alleged that the initiative, officially framed as a national security measure, is also intended to ease pressure from party grassroots demanding employment opportunities.

“We need government money to feed the footsoldiers… to run our homes, campaign, and party activities,” he stated.

He further suggested that involving party loyalists in the exercise is a deliberate attempt to reduce dissatisfaction within the party.

“At least footsoldiers will be recruited… and the noise will go down about no jobs for party people,” he added.

His comments suggest an internal strategy to manage frustrations among supporters, warning that without such interventions, discontent could escalate and be directed at government appointees and even the presidency.

The SIM re-registration exercise, supervised by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and the National Communications Authority, has consistently been justified as essential for national security and data integrity.

However, Mensah’s claims have raised concerns about whether the policy could be serving political interests.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has previously underscored the importance of SIM registration in strengthening national systems, although he has not directly addressed the allegations raised by the opposition communicator.