By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Information and Communication, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central Constituency in the Upper East Region, Mr. Mahama Ayariga, has officially filed a Right to Information (RTI) request demanding full details about the Next-Generation Infrastructure Company (Next-Gen InfraCo) deal entered into on behalf of Ghana by the Communications Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
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.
The Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Information and Communication is seeking the Communications Minister to provide 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 partner since Ghanaians interested in the telecommunications sector cannot be groping in the dark,” portions of Ayariga’s RTI request read.
The Bawku Central MP explained that agreements of such magnitude should be made accessible for thorough review, rather than limited to verbal briefings.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful announced in March 2024 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.
However, details of the agreement, according to Mr. Ayariga, have not been made known to the public.
Below is the full statement.
HON. MRS URSULA OWUSU-EKUFUL,
MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITALISATION,
ACCRA, GHANA.
Honourable Minister,
YOUR BRIEFING ON 5G DEPLOYMENT IN GHANA AND MATTERS ARISING
On Thursday 30th May, 2024 your good-self briefed the world on the deployment of 5G
telecommunications technology in Ghana. This letter requests certain information from you pursuant
to the Right to Information Act of Ghana. Since your briefing, I have been reassigned to the office of
Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Information and Communication. I have
not sited any of the documents mentioned in your briefing hence this request.
1. At your Ministerial briefing on Thursday 30th May 2024 you stated that “The Government of
Ghana, 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, has
launched the Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC). This initiative aims to deliver affordable 5G mobile
broadband services across our nation, propelling us towards a fully digitized Ghana by 2030.”
Please furnish me with the collaboration agreement or any other agreement entered into or in
this regard because I do not believe that such a significant agreement could just be verbal or
pronounced by your good-self no matter how exalted you may be.
2. You 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. Transparency is key.
3. At the briefing, you stated that “The Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC) is a new shared infrastructure company, co-promoted by the Government of Ghana, Ascend Digital, and K-NET. This partnership includes leading technology providers Nokia, Radisys and Tech Mahindra.” Kindly furnish my office with documents establishing the existence of NGIC, profile of its shareholders and management, evidence of their financial and technical capabilities, specific role of the Government of Ghana (including any obligations it will assume) and the commitments made by each of the partners for the purposes of establishing that the Government of Ghana indeed has credible partners in such a significant project.
4. You said that “NGIC has been awarded a 5G license and is expected to launch 5G services across Ghana within the next six months, with plans for future expansion into other parts of Africa.” Whilst congratulating NGIC, can you please furnish my office with a copy of the 5G license and any other conditions or terms of the 5G license if not included in the licence for my review. Also provide evidence of the analysis done to determine the price of the 5G spectrum given to NGIC and payment by NGIC for the 5G licence.
5. You also said “Discussions will soon be finalised with Microsoft, which has expressed an interest in this project. NGIC’s equity will be held by the Republic of Ghana, Ascend Digital, K-NET, all Mobile Network Operators in Ghana and other investors including the technology providers who may wish to join the consortium.” Kindly include in your response the update on any conclusions with Microsoft, the present equity holdings of Ascend Digital, K-NET and all the Mobile Network Operators who you expected to take up interests and exactly what interests they have all acquired and/or role they are playing in the transaction.
6. You said “The shared 4G and 5G infrastructure will be built by Nokia and Radisys, with IT architecture and integration provided by Microsoft and Tech Mahindra. This collaboration ensures that we leverage cutting-edge world-class expertise and technology to build a robust digital infrastructure.” Can you update me on the level of development of the infrastructure and by who?
7. You said “NGIC will enable a reset of Ghana’s economy by attracting investments across all sectors and providing access to all manner of e-services and improve the quality of life for all Ghanaians by ensuring that everyone, regardless of their location, has access to the latest digital services.” Please furnish me with the business case for 5G including the use cases for Ghana and your Ministry’s/Government of Ghana’s plans to promote 5G adoption to ensure the project succeeds. Also, thank you for acknowledging that Ghana’s economy will require a “reset” instead of an “upgrade”. God bless you for being honest in this regard.
8. Please send me a copy of the legal opinion supporting the manner of appointment of NGIC to undertake the 5G project, the award of the 4G/5G spectrum and structure of the project.
9. Lastly, you announced that the deployment will take place in the last quarter of 2024. Please update me on the status of deployment and your implementation plan for this year and beyond.
Also, confirm when the project will be launched.
The answers to these questions have become necessary in the interest of transparency and to enable me exercise my oversight responsibilities.
Please accept considerations of my highest regards.
Thank you.
Mahama Ayariga, MP.
Ranking Member on the Select Committee on Information and Communications
CC: Chief Executive Officer
National Communications Authority
Accra
All Honourable Members:
Parliamentary Select Committee, Information and Communication.
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