The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has emphasized the crucial role of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s digitalization efforts in light of recent internet disruptions.
He underscored the importance of Dr. Bawumia’s initiatives, especially during times when the nation and other West African countries are grappling with internet interruptions affecting businesses.
Mr Cudjoe urged the Vice President and his team to establish a transparent framework facilitating partnerships for satellite technology provision to mitigate future internet disruptions.
He highlighted the significance of reliable internet access, comparing it to essential lifeblood.
In a post on his Facebook page, Franklin Cudjoe expressed concern over reported incidents of underground fiber optic cable cuts and subsequent internet access challenges.
“The reported cuts in underground fibre optic cables and the lack of Internet access tell how the Internet is almost equal to blood. Surely you appreciate Bawumia’s digitalisation drive. Now his team should be thinking about a transparent framework that encourages true public-private partnership in the provision of satellite technology for communication.
“Nothing like SUBAH, KELNI GVG, and jocular clever scams like the location apps when Google exists,” he wrote on his Facebook page,
He advocated for a strategic approach, emphasizing genuine public-private partnerships over past controversial schemes like SUBAH, KELNI GVG, and other location-based applications, particularly when reliable alternatives like Google exist.
Mr Cudjoe’s remarks come amidst widespread internet outages across Ghana since March 14, attributed to undersea fiber optic cable cuts.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has alerted the public that four subsea cables connecting Ghana to Europe via Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal remain out of service.
The NCA anticipates resolving these issues within approximately five weeks to restore normal internet connectivity nationwide.