The Minority in Parliament has raised significant concerns over the government’s decision to grant a 5G licensing contract to NextGen InfraCo, a company formed just a week before the contract’s approval.
According to the Minority, the deal lacks transparency and does not align with the country’s best interests.
In a press release on Monday, June 3, signed by Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the NDC MPs vowed to contest the deal.
The statement also pointed out previous contracts awarded by the current government that have squandered state resources, increasing their skepticism about the NextGen InfraCo agreement.
The NDC MPs stressed the importance of scrutiny and accountability, promising to address the nation soon to expose the deal’s lack of transparency and its potential impact on Ghana.
“The regulatory framework and operational modalities and guidelines for this opaque arrangement have not been clearly defined by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, which appears to be in an indecent haste to give away the country’s 5G spectrum for a pittance,” an excerpt of their statement said.
This development follows Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation’s defence of the government’s decision to award the 5G licensing contract to NextGen InfraCo.
The Ablekuma West MP clarified that NextGen InfraCo was specifically established to manage the 5G rollout.
She added that at the time, no other infrastructure companies had the necessary capacity for this project.
The minister further explained that the direct award of the contract to this new company is part of the government’s strategy to overcome previous challenges and expedite the deployment of the 5G network in Ghana.
“This is a special purpose vehicle and once the government took the decision that we will use a neutral infrastructure company to deliver this service, there is no existing neutral infrastructure company that can deliver it at the moment.
“So, it had to be specifically formed for the purpose of delivering this service based on the strategic policies and decisions of the government, and it is borne out of our experiences and that is why we chose not to auction it,” she stated.
Meanwhile, catch up on the latest edition of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV as Etsey Atisu sat down with the MP for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, to discuss issues surrounding the E-Levy, the Saglemi Housing Controversy, and the OSP Impeachment: