NCA Tells Subscribers to Blame Telcos for Blockage of Duly Registered SIM Cards

The National Communications Authority (NCA) is asking subscribers whose SIM cards have been blocked in spite of duly registering them to direct their anger at the telecommunication companies.

Director of Legal Affairs, Dr Poku Adusei, is reported to have dsaid that it is an error for such subscribers to have their SIM functions restricted since they are not supposed to be punished.

“The directive was that if you have not gone through the two-stage process to register, certain sanctions could be applied to you but, in applying the sanctions, it is possible there could be an overreach.

“In that case, that would not be our instruction that there should be that overreach because we don’t control the networks which are in the private hands of the operators,” Dr Adusei is quoted as saying.

There has been chaos at registration centers as a result of many SIM cards dukly registered in the national re-registration project being blocked after the deadline for registration.

However, according to the NCA, the fault is on the side of the telcos not the NCA.

Already, the NCA has been dragged to the Supreme Court over the issue.

Pressure group, The People’s Project (TPP), in a writ issued on Friday, said said the exercise is being done capriciously.

It wants the Supreme Court to, among other reliefs, declare the deadline and the associated punitive measures null and void.