Former Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has dismissed claims that personal differences undermined Ghana’s biometric SIM card registration exercise.
In a statement issued on March 20, 2026, she firmly denied allegations of a feud with Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, former Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority.
Her response follows remarks by John Dramani Mahama, who suggested during his “Resetting Ghana” tour that tensions between the two officials had affected the integrity of the national data exercise.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful clarified that while there were technical disagreements between their institutions, these did not amount to personal animosity. She maintained that her professional and personal relationship with Prof. Attafuah remained cordial throughout the 2022–2023 period.
“At no point did we stop communicating, either personally or professionally,” she stated, rejecting assertions that interpersonal conflict derailed the process.
She stressed that her approach to public service remained guided by professionalism, noting that differences in opinion did not interfere with her duties.
According to the former minister, the main challenge during the registration exercise stemmed from a technical policy decision rather than personal issues. She explained that the NIA declined to grant the SIM registration system direct, real-time access to its biometric database during the second phase of verification.
Despite this limitation, she defended the overall outcome of the exercise. She revealed that nearly 30 million SIM cards were successfully registered and linked to the Ghana Card, while a 2025 audit found that more than 80 percent of facial biometric data collected matched records held by the NIA.
She argued that the initiative succeeded in establishing a functional and comprehensive national database for the telecommunications sector.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful concluded by cautioning against dismantling existing digital infrastructure for political reasons, urging the current administration to build on the foundation already laid.
The exchange highlights an ongoing debate over Ghana’s digital identity system, as authorities move toward a new phase of registration aimed at achieving full integration with the NIA’s backend systems.
