Minority in parliament calls for communications minister to resign over DSTV standoff

The Minority in Parliament has demanded the immediate resignation of the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Mr. Sam Nartey George, citing his handling of the recent standoff with MultiChoice, operators of DSTV in Ghana.

The Minority accused the minister of misleading Ghanaians, wasting public resources, and abandoning his pledge to secure a 30 per cent reduction in DSTV subscription fees. Speaking at a press conference at Parliament House, Accra, Mr. Charles Owiredu, Deputy Ranking Member on the Information and Communications Committee, said the minister must issue an unqualified apology, refund the funds levied on DSTV, and resign—or be relieved of his duties by the President.

Mr. Owiredu argued that MultiChoice’s ongoing promotional campaign, which the minister praised as a “generational success,” was a standard practice across multiple countries and not the result of any ministerial negotiation. He added that the minister had failed to deliver on his promises and was now seeking cover behind corporate marketing strategies.

The lawmaker, who is also the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Abirem, further criticised Mr. Nartey George’s performance during committee engagements, accusing him of lacking the “mental rigour” to effectively understand and communicate key issues. “The minister’s failure to grasp key issues during meetings and to communicate the actual negotiated outcomes—or worse, his deliberate fabrication of what he was never able to broker—is evident,” he said.

In response, MultiChoice Ghana issued a public clarification on October 1, stating its full support for the government’s announced DSTV value upgrade and apologising for a misleading FAQ on its website. The company has begun implementing the upgrade for all DSTV customers, with a review committee set to assess its impact in three months.