‘No Bad Blood’ — Sam George Clears Air After PAC Clash With Abena Osei-Asare
The communications minister says the heated exchange during the PAC sitting was part of normal parliamentary debate and not a personal feud.
- Sam George says PAC clash with Abena Osei-Asare was not personal
- Minister insists there is “no bad blood” after heated exchange.
- PAC tension sparked during telecom sector questioning
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam George, has dismissed suggestions of tension between himself and the Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Abena Osei-Asare, following their heated exchange during a committee sitting on Monday.
According to the minister, the sharp back-and-forth during proceedings was part of normal parliamentary debate and did not reflect any personal hostility.
Mr. George appeared before the PAC to answer questions concerning poor service delivery by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) across the country.
However, the hearing became tense after the minister attributed some of the challenges in Ghana’s telecommunications sector to what he described as weak governance, poor policy direction and leadership failures under the previous administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
His comments immediately drew a 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 and reportedly asked him to confine his remarks to issues directly before the committee.
The interruption triggered a sharp response from Mr. George, who appealed to the acting chair for the session, Samuel Atta Mills, to intervene.
Despite the tense atmosphere during the hearing, the minister later played down the incident while speaking to journalists after the sitting.
“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.
Mr. George further suggested that some members of the committee were giving him the same tough treatment he once meted out to ministers of the previous administration while serving on the PAC 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 said.
The Public Accounts Committee is one of Parliament’s key oversight bodies responsible for examining 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.
