Mahama Ayariga, the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Information and Communication, has officially submitted a Right to Information (RTI) request demanding that the Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful provide details about the Next-Generation Infrastructure Company (Next-Gen InfraCo) deal.
The Bawku Central lawmaker’s request comes amid rising calls for transparency in government contracts, especially those that could impact competition and service delivery in critical industries like telecommunications.
Ayariga is demanding the full contractual agreement between the government and Next-Gen InfraCo, the terms of the deal, and an understanding of any financial commitments the state may have undertaken.
“You [Ursula Owusu-Ekuful] also mentioned at the briefing that “I am pleased to inform you that this landmark partnership was signed in Mumbai, India, on Monday, 27th May 2024, the culmination of a process which started over 2 years ago.”
“Kindly furnish me with a copy of the landmark partnership agreement for our review and understanding of the exact commitments of each of the partners since Ghanaians interested in the telecommunications sector cannot be groping in the dark,” a part of Ayariga’s request read in part.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful announced in March that Ghana was to get 5G internet connectivity by September 2024 through the Next-Gen InfraCo deal in collaboration with Ascend Digital, K-NET, Radisys, Nokia, and Tech Mahindra, supported by All Mobile Network Operators in Ghana, starting with AT and Telecel.
Ayariga stressed that agreements of this magnitude should be made accessible for thorough review, rather than limited to verbal briefings.
