Former Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has strongly refuted recent claims about Ghana’s SIM registration exercise, accusing President John Dramani Mahama of misrepresenting facts about the process.
In a detailed statement, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful defended the 2022–2023 SIM registration exercise, insisting it was a necessary reform to address the weaknesses of the earlier 2010–2011 system, which lacked proper identity verification mechanisms. She explained that the newer process was built around the Ghana Card to ensure legal compliance and improve national security.
According to her, the exercise followed a structured two-stage approach, involving initial verification of personal details with the National Identification Authority (NIA), followed by biometric data capture. She maintained that all active SIM cards in Ghana are linked to the Ghana Card, describing this as “an incontrovertible fact.”
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful acknowledged challenges during implementation, particularly the inability to fully integrate biometric verification with the NIA database. However, she stressed that this did not undermine the overall success of the exercise, revealing that an audit conducted in 2025 showed over 80 per cent of captured facial biometrics matched NIA records.
She questioned criticisms suggesting the exercise lacked value, arguing that such claims were inconsistent with audit findings based on the same data. “You cannot dismiss the process and still rely on its results,” she stated.
The former Minister also rejected suggestions that the current government had introduced a new system, noting that key features such as shortcode registration, mobile applications, and biometric verification were already implemented under her tenure. She described the current approach as a continuation rather than a reinvention.
Highlighting achievements of the exercise, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said it significantly boosted Ghana Card acquisition and enhanced transparency through tools that allowed users to check SIMs linked to their identity. She added that deadlines, though extended at times, were essential in driving public participation.
She urged the government to build on the existing framework instead of discrediting it, emphasizing that governance should be a continuous process. “The duty of any new administration is to improve what exists, not erase it for political convenience,” she said.
Her comments come amid renewed debate over the effectiveness and credibility of Ghana’s SIM registration system, a key component of the country’s digital and security infrastructure.
