A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communications team, Abdulai Sakra Alhassan, has questioned why members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are strongly opposing the new Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill when it was originally introduced under their government.
According to him, the NDC administration has only made amendments to an already existing law.
Speaking on GHOne TV on October 28, Alhassan said he finds it difficult to understand the NPP’s objections to the bill.
“This cybersecurity office was launched and outdoored by you. You brought the institution to us,” he said.
He noted that the current government is not replacing the existing legislation but rather improving aspects of it.
“The laws we’re amending now, we’re not amending all — just parts of it,” he explained.
Alhassan questioned the NPP’s sudden change in attitude towards the law they initiated.
“I just don’t understand one thing about the NPP. I don’t know whether they understood what they were doing when they were in power and now they are realizing it wasn’t the best. Because we are continuing whatever they put down there,” he said.
“Why are you crying? We are modifying what is already in existence,” he added.
He explained that the current amendments are meant to expand the powers of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) to reflect modern realities and ensure stronger cybersecurity oversight.
“We are giving them more powers. It’s a good institution. We all understand what they do, we want to put more money and investments into it. We want to make sure they have authority,” he said.
Alhassan argued that empowering the CSA to conduct investigations and prosecutions is a positive move.
“What is the problem when you give them more power to do investigation and prosecutions?” he asked.
He also questioned the intensity of the opposition’s resistance to the amendments.
“Why are they crying? Is there something that we don’t know? If you’re not a criminal institution, why are you running away from all these things?”
Alhassan stressed that the Cybersecurity Act, 2020, which the government is now amending, was originally an NPP initiative.
“The 2020 bill is what we are just amending,” he emphasized.
