The Minority in Parliament has announced a boycott of the registration exercise at Parliament for national ID cards citing legal, procurement and cost concerns.
In a statement, a Minority leader and Tamale South MP said the National Identification Authority (NIA) has not been honest with the Ghanaian people over the cost of the project with two figures – $1.4billion and $293 million, – according to reports.
The registration exercise is a key government initiative to collect data for economic planning purposes and also to formalise the economy.
Since 1973, Ghana has tried to provide its citizens a functional national ID card. But logistical and financial support have hampered government’s ability to provide the cards.
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Six months to the end of the John Kufour administration, the NIA began mass registration of Ghanaians for the unique ID card from July 2008 and May 2010.
A total of 11 million people in six regions were registered in the process. Since the issuance of the cards were not instant, collection of the card started later in 2011. But private and government institutions rejected it.
The latest attempt under the Akufo-Addo government has also been postponed several times since the President launched it in September 2017.
The NIA announced last week it was finally ready to roll out a registration program starting with the Presidency.
Presidential staffers at the Jubilee House sucessfully registered and received their cards. Parliament, the Judiciary Service and security agencies are the NIA’s next stops as it prepares for a nationwide takeoff.
But the exercise expected to begin Monday will not see Minority MPs participating.
