Mahama’s govt developed Ghana Card system, not Akufo-Addo’s administration – Sammy Gyamfi

The Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has said the NDC government initiated the implementation of the Ghana Card as early as 2016.

To him, the current NPP government merely carried forward the system established by the Mahama administration.

He stated that in 2016, during the tenure of the Mahama government, biometric and demographic data were collected from approximately 16 million Ghanaians, resulting in the processing of about 4.7 million cards.

Mr. Gyamfi mentioned that, around 900,000 cards were distributed by the Mahama administration before leaving office in 2016.

In response to Dr. Bawumia’s recent address to the nation, he accused him of intentionally overlooking the significant contributions made by the NDC/Mahama administration to the development of the Ghana Card system.

Read below portions of Sammy Gyamfi’s speaking notes on Dr Bawumia’s address to the nation

THE GHANA CARD LIE

• *Dr. Bawumia deliberately ignored the significant contributions of the NDC/Mahama administration in developing the GhanaCard system to what it is today.
• It is important to note, that by 2016, the NDC/Mahama administration had:

1. Passed the law that makes the Ghana Card the sole document for identification purposes  for any transaction (L.I 2111)
2. Collected biometric and demographic data on about 16 million Ghanaians

iii. Processed about 4.7 million cards

1. Distributed about 900,000 cards
2. Procured 9 million blank cards

• Upon assumption of office in 2017, Dr. Bawumia constituted a three-man committee headed by Prof. Ken Attafuah, to review the contract and implementation of the Ghana Card system.
• The committee established the facts enumerated above which is contained on page 1 of the report and recommended the use of the existing database to continue from where the NDC left off.
• Indeed, the NIA boss Prof. Ken Attafuah told Parliament that the contract that was signed by the NDC/Mahama administration with the Margins Group, is the same contract that is being implemented today.
• Clearly, this government only came to continue the implementation of a system that had already been developed by the NDC/Mahama government, as a continuation of what was started under President Kuffour and continued by President Mills of blessed memory.
• The Ghana card credit must therefore be shared by all successive governments who have contributed to where we are today. Note that Bawumia does not even credit his boss, Akufo-Addo…

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