Sam George: The Minister Whose Bold Stand Against DStv Deserves National Applause

Do we really understand what the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, just did?

When Sam George first launched the programme to get DStv to reason with him and reduce their prices, the initial reaction of the DStv management was confrontational. They made very disparaging comments and wrote an unjustified and scathing letter to the Minister. Thank God Mr Nartey George remained calm, professional, focused, and particularly determined.

Yet they are the greatest beneficiaries, not the consumer.

First, they’ve got the Minister as their champion. This was clearly visible in his comments during his presser to announce the outcome of the committee meeting.

Second, there is now a standing committee to regularly engage DStv and to help them remain in the Ghanaian communication space while ensuring the interests of consumers.

Third, Sam George also spelt out measures to cut off DStv Nigeria from interfering in DStv Ghana’s business space.

Let me confess that one of my children almost got me to exit DStv until the Communications Minister took the bold step to arrest the monstrous devouring of customers by DStv. Many Ghanaians were subscribing to DStv Nigeria, and many more would have left them. So, you see, the Minister was actually helping DStv.

But that was not the major achievement of the Minister.

First, what he set out to do, he achieved with flying colours. For instance, I was on Premium. I downgraded to Compact+. Then, I downgraded further to Compact, which costs me GHC 380 per month. Then, I contemplated exiting altogether until strongman Nartey caught my message. Now, I have climbed back to Compact+. My favourite channels, such as CBS Justice, History, Curiosity Channel, and more cartoon channels for my grandson, are back. He’s asked that I take him to Mr George to thank him.

Considering my middle-income status, I can imagine how many of us might have left or considered leaving. So, let no one seek to minimise the height the Minister has brought us.

Sam George has also signalled to other enterprises within his ministry that it’s the Ghanaian interest that he’s at the ministry for, and not self-seeking individuals or groups. In particular, it’s a wake-up call to his nauseatingly crawling colleagues that they should stop snail-walking and eagle-fly as he is doing. In my opinion, appointees like Sam George must be the standard for measuring other appointees.

The Hon. Minister has also distinguished himself as a proactive, results-oriented, no-nonsense achiever. He does not intend to be the business-as-usual appointee whose major interest is to swim with the waves. Sam George is swimming against the tide. He does not want to be like some of his colleagues who are attention-seekers just to earn their monthly pay and perks, and make criminal deals with some private-sector interest groups.

If President Mahama ever thinks of a legacy, then he must support, protect, and defend the Sam Georges in his government. If the NDC party wants to keep its supporters and sympathisers, then it’s the Sam George-type appointees we have to look out for and stand with them when they falter—because they definitely will.

Ghanaians must stand by appointees like Sam George who are consistently on the side of citizens. If we allow the coffee shop-type media agenda setters and influencers to bury the Sam Georges, we are in for a disaster worse than the mess Akufo-Addo and his cronies came to heap on us. Let’s shine our eyes, countrymen and women.