Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George has dismissed claims of a rift between himself and the Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Abena Osei-Asare, following a heated exchange during a committee sitting on Monday. According to the minister, the tense interaction was simply part of their usual engagements and did not reflect any personal animosity.
The minister appeared before the PAC to answer questions relating to concerns over poor service delivery by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) across the country. The hearing formed part of Parliament’s ongoing scrutiny of Ghana’s telecommunications sector amid growing public dissatisfaction over network quality, data costs and general service delivery.
Proceedings became tense after Mr. George attributed some of the challenges confronting the telecommunications industry to what he described as weak policy direction, governance lapses and leadership shortcomings under the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo. His remarks drew an immediate reaction from Mrs. Osei-Asare, who previously served as a Minister of State at the Finance Ministry during the Akufo-Addo administration.
During the sitting, the PAC Chairperson reportedly interrupted the minister and urged him to restrict his comments to matters directly before the committee. The interruption prompted Mr George to appeal to the Ranking Member of the committee, Samuel Atta Mills, who was presiding at the time, to call the chairperson to order.
Speaking to journalists after the hearing, the minister played down the incident and insisted there was no hostility between them. He described Mrs. Osei-Asare as a friend and suggested that their familiarity may have contributed to the intensity of the exchange. He stressed that despite their friendship; parliamentary oversight work had to be carried out rigorously.
Mr George further noted that some members of the committee were merely subjecting him to the same level of scrutiny he once applied to former ministers while serving on the PAC in opposition. Describing himself as resilient, he said he remained unfazed by the exchanges and jokingly remarked that he would respond even more firmly at his next appearance before the committee. He also maintained that there was no bad blood between himself and the PAC Chairperson, adding in a light-hearted tone that they will still share a meal together after proceedings.
