A heated exchange disrupted proceedings at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday when Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George clashed with committee chairperson Abena Osei-Asare over telecom service accountability.
The confrontation unfolded as George, who serves as Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, attributed the sector’s persistent quality challenges to what he described as weak policy decisions, poor governance and leadership failures under the previous Akufo-Addo administration. His remarks were pointed directly at Osei-Asare, who served as a minister of state at the Finance Ministry during that period.
“This is unbecoming of a member of Parliament; please stop doing this,” George said, after the chairperson interrupted his submission and urged him to address the committee more directly.
Osei-Asare had cautioned the minister against what she considered offensive remarks, asking him to stay focused on the committee’s concerns. George responded sharply, calling on ranking member Samuel Atta Mills to restore order and insisting he had the floor.
The minister argued that policy leadership under the current administration had taken deliberate steps to protect consumers, framing the session in terms of a broader governance reset. Osei-Asare, however, maintained that her intervention was not intended to diminish the minister but to underscore the gravity of the telecom service crisis affecting Ghanaians.
Calm was eventually restored and the sitting continued after the brief disruption.
The incident reflects the intensifying political pressure surrounding telecom accountability in Ghana, coming on the same day the National Communications Authority signalled a tougher enforcement posture against mobile network operators over declining service quality.
