The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam George, has dismissed suggestions of bad blood between himself and the Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Abena Osei-Asare, following their tense exchange during a committee sitting on Monday.
The minister insisted that the sharp back-and-forth was part of normal parliamentary engagement and did not reflect any personal disagreement.
Sam George appeared before the committee to respond to questions over concerns about poor service delivery by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) across the country.
However, proceedings became heated after the minister linked some of the challenges in the telecommunications sector to what he described as weak governance, policy direction, and leadership failures under the previous Nana Akufo-Addo administration.
His remarks drew an immediate reaction from Mrs. Osei-Asare, who previously served as a Minister of State at the Finance Ministry under the former government.
The PAC Chairperson interrupted the minister during the hearing and reportedly urged him to focus his submission on issues directly before the committee.
The interruption triggered a sharp response from Sam George, who appealed to the acting chair for the session, Samuel Atta Mills, to intervene.
Despite the tense atmosphere during the sitting, the minister later downplayed the incident when speaking to journalists after the hearing.
“Abena is a friend, maybe that is why our exchanges were heated. We do this in our regular conversations. But the fact that we are friends does not negate the fact that the work has to be done,” he told JoyNews Parliamentary Correspondent James Avedzi.
Sam George also suggested that some members of the committee were giving him the same tough treatment he once gave ministers of the previous administration when he served on the PAC while in opposition.
“I know my colleagues are returning the favour for what I did for New Patriotic Party ministers when I was a member of PAC. But I’m a tough nut to crack. The next time I come, I will fire them. No hard feelings, no bad blood, I’m going to join them for lunch,” he added.
The Public Accounts Committee remains one of Parliament’s key oversight bodies, responsible for scrutinising the audited accounts of state institutions and ensuring accountability in the management of public funds.
Monday’s sitting formed part of ongoing parliamentary scrutiny of Ghana’s telecommunications sector amid growing public concerns over network quality, data pricing and overall service delivery by telecom operators.
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