Sam George, the minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, has told AT Ghana staff they will all be absorbed following the merger with Telecel Ghana.
The sector minister assured all 300 permanent employees of AT Ghana that their jobs will be safe.
According to him, the merger is to create a stronger, more sustainable telecom operator.
He detailed that the merger is being driven by AT’s bad financial state, with the company incurring more than $10 million in losses within just eight months of 2025.
Sam George emphasised that the government continuing to fund AT with taxpayer funds was not sustainable.
Speaking at a staff engagement held at AT Ghana’s Head Office in Accra, Sam Nartey George stated, “This is not a re-application process. It is a continuation of your contracts. Every one of you will be absorbed, unless you personally choose to leave,” he stressed.
“These losses are funded by taxpayers. That is money that should be building roads, water systems, and schools. We cannot keep pouring public funds into unsustainable operations”
Sam George added, “It makes no sense for two networks to operate separately on the same tower, both paying twice while both struggle. A merger is the smart and sustainable choice”
Already, over 3.2 million AT subscribers have been migrated onto Telecel’s network through a national roaming arrangement, which the Ministry described as “98% smooth.”
According to the ministry, the integration process will unfold in three phases.
“Technical migration – nearly complete, with roaming already operational. Human resource alignment – ensuring all staff are absorbed before the end of September. Commercial restructuring – to be finalised shortly, establishing the framework for the merged entity”.
The sector minister further revealed that the new operator would require $600 million over the next four years.
Sam George highlighted that the government will inject resources, and also proceeds from spectrum sales.
The Ghana government has a 100 per cent ownership of AT Ghana and a 30 per cent stake in Telecel Ghana.
However, both companies have struggled with debts to vendors and partners.
Meanwhile, Sam George had earlier declared the managers of AirtelTigo are “enemies of the state”.
The sector minister noted that AirtelTigo claimed to have been purchased for $1 under the former Akufo-Addo Bawumia government, now has a debt exceeding 3.5 billion Ghana Cedis on its books.
Speaking to the media in Parliament on Monday, March 24, Sam George further fired shots at those who oversaw the process of purchasing AirtelTigo.
Sam George stated, “Those who managed the AirtelTigo process are enemies of our state and individuals who have no sense of patriotism. So for anybody to have told us that they bought AirtelTigo for 1 dollar, and now that we have taken over the ministry, ATC (American Tower Company), just one of the companies AirtelTigo owes, has presented us with a bill of 1.5 billion Ghana Cedis”.
“The American Embassy, along with their team, was in my office, and one of the major issues raised was the indebtedness to ATC. The debt sitting on the books of AirtelTigo exceeds 3.5 billion Ghana Cedis.
“So if someone told you that they bought it for 1 dollar, who is going to pay the 1.3 billion that is sitting there and accumulating interest?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, the president of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, made in an earlier post some months ago, revealed that Airtel-Tigo claimed to have been purchased for $1 and was poised to deliver a quick turnaround has projectly accumulated roughly $1.2 billion in debt.
Bright Simons, in a post, wrote, “ What the government is now telling us is that the Airtel-Tigo assets it proudly announced to have purchased for $1 and was poised to deliver a quick turnaround must have BY NOW accumulated roughly $1.2 billion in DEBT (i.e. most of the retained losses from the revenue statement reflect in supplier liabilities).
Airtel-Tigo owes even its core suppliers, like the American-owned company from which it rents the transmission towers to deliver its services here in Ghana. The company has thus “reported Ghana” to the US government”, he added.
Bright Simons added, “A privatisation plan was botched when the decision was made to go for some shady investors. By the time those dubious deals fell through (read the essay in this thread), the debt situation had become so bad that no one wanted to touch Airtel-Tigo with a long pole”.
The honorary Vice-president of IMANI Africa also revealed that the key strategists behind the Airtel-Tigo takeover are also the same ones driving the 5G monopoly idea.
He added, “Instead of focusing on this massive liability, the government is scheming to rather create a new 5G monopoly.
It is breathtaking. Literally. Still, we need to force the government to think through this mess. “We” the people”, Bright Simons stated.