DStv saga: You’re unfit, apologise and resign – Minority to Sam George

The Minority in Parliament has asked the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Sam Nartey George, to resign over what they describe as his failed handling of the recent standoff with MultiChoice, operators of DStv in Ghana.

At a presser in Accra on Thursday,  October 2, Deputy Ranking Member on the Communications Committee, Charles Owiredu, accused the Minister of misleading Ghanaians, wasting public resources, and abandoning his commitment to secure a 30% reduction in DStv subscription fees.

“We of the Minority demand that, one, the Minister renders an unqualified apology to Ghanaians for the waste of the nation’s time and resources on this venture,” Owiredu stated.

“Two, we call on him to refund the funds levied on DStv. And three, we deem him unfit to lead this strategic Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, and therefore call on him to resign—or for His Excellency the President to relieve him of his duties.”

The Minority contends that the Minister completely shifted from his initial bold promise of a 30% reduction in subscription fees, only to later claim that MultiChoice’s ongoing promotional campaign was a “generational success.”

According to them, this move represents a betrayal of public trust and a failure to deliver on his own stated objectives.

“Instead of addressing legitimate questions posed by Ghanaians—such as why he prioritised MultiChoice’s PR efforts over his price-reduction agenda, or how much revenue has been accrued from fines imposed on MultiChoice—the Minister resorted to attacking the Minority Committee and well-meaning citizens,” Owiredu added.

He further highlighted that MultiChoice has been running its “Step Up” promotional campaign since January 13, 2025, offering subscribers the opportunity to upgrade to a higher package at no extra cost. The company also reduced decoder prices in July to appreciate customers, a move Owiredu claims was misrepresented by the Minister as a government-brokered success.

“It is important to note that these promotional offers are standard across several countries and are not the result of any negotiations led by the Minister. This is someone who, having failed to deliver on his promises, is now seeking cover behind corporate marketing strategies,” he said.

Owiredu also criticised the Minister’s conduct during committee engagements, accusing him of lacking the “mental rigour” to effectively understand and communicate key issues, and suggesting that his public claims about negotiations with MultiChoice may have been entirely fabricated.

“The Minister’s failure to grasp key issues during meetings and to communicate the actual negotiated outcomes to Ghanaians—or worse, his deliberate fabrication of what he was never able to broker—is evident,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, MultiChoice Ghana on Wednesday, October 1 issued a public clarification, stating that they fully support the government’s recently announced DStv value upgrade and that a misleading FAQ published on their website was an error.

This followed confusion among customers and media reports suggesting a contradiction between a government statement by Minister of Communication, Samuel Nartey George, and a new three-month DStv promotion running from 1 October to 31 December 2025.

MultiChoice clarified three key points:

1. The company fully supports the joint statement made by Samuel Nartey George regarding the value upgrade for DStv packages and has already started implementing it.