The Minority in Parliament has strongly objected to any planned merger or partnership between the government and Telecel, describing the deal as “technically, operationally, and financially unconscionable.”
Ranking Member on the Communications Committee, Matthew Nyindam, raised the concern during a media briefing in Parliament.
He questioned why both the Minister of Communications and Telecel would publicly announce a merger and then suddenly go silent on the matter.
“We object to any deal with Telecel by way of merger, absorption, or acquisition. This is a scheme to dispose of a national asset to fill private pockets,” Mr. Nyindam stated.
He argued that Telecel has not demonstrated any special technical or operational expertise that staff and management of AT (formerly AirtelTigo) do not already possess.
According to him, Telecel had earlier promised to invest $500 million after acquiring Vodafone Ghana but failed to do so, a situation he fears could repeat itself if the government allows another deal.
Mr. Nyindam claimed that Telecel was already indebted to the tune of $400 million, adding that the company only seeks to benefit from AT’s over three million customers to expand its own base without making any real investment.
“The government must not surrender the capacity of a state-owned company to a private entity through majority ownership. There is no clear plan to protect the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of workers,” he stressed.
The Minority Caucus is therefore calling on the government to halt any discussions or agreements with Telecel regarding the proposed merger, insisting that the deal is not in the national interest.
