The National Identification Authority has apologised to the Presidency and other institutions for its failure to commence the issuance of the Ghana Card at selected parts of the country on Monday.
According to the NIA, it was unable to start the registration and issuance of the card as announced due to “technical difficulties.”
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Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Prof. Ken Attafuah promised the Presidency and key security institutions including the Armed Forces, Police and Immigration Service as well as the Prisons Service would have their staff being issued with the cards from 28th May.
Unfortunately, the planned issuance failed to materialise.
However, the NIA has assured the public that “every effort would be made to cover any lost time by deploying enough registration officials and equipment to undertake the exercise.”
Prof. Ken Attafuah said the technicians are putting interim measures in place to solve the challenge but stopped short of stating the exact date of issuing the Cards.
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Read the NIA’s full statement below:
COMMENCEMENT OF MASS REGISTRATION OF GHANAIANS FOR THE GHANA CARD
The National Identification Authority (NIA) regrets to inform the general public especially the selected institutions scheduled to be registered from today Monday 28th May 2018 to Friday 8th June 2018 about its inability to roll-out today as planned.
The National Identification System has suffered a technical hitch which has affected the NIA’s ability to commence roll-out as scheduled. Details of the technical difficulties will be communicated to the general public in due course.
Our technical team is working fervently to resolve the issue for registration to begin. Under the circumstance, registration was suspended today until the problem is completely resolved.
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The NIA unreservedly apologizes to the personnel of the following institutions which were to begin registration this morning at 7:00 am for the inconvenience they have had to endure:
- Jubilee House
- Judicial Service
- Ministry of Defence
- National Security
- BNI
- MOFARI (Research Dept)
- Ghana Police Service
- Ghana Immigration Service
- Ghana Prison Service
- Ghana National Fire Service.
The NIA wishes to assure these institutions that every effort would be made to cover any lost time by deploying enough registration officials and equipment to undertake the exercise. Once again, we sincerely apologise for the inconveniences caused. Thank you.
About the National ID card
The issuance of a National Identification ID card is among the government’s key promises to formalise the country’s economy.
Under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in 2009, the NIA began the process to register and issue the National ID card to all Ghanaians.
About 11 million people in six regions of the country were registered as part of the process between 2009 and 2010.
The cards were, however, ready for collection later in 2011, although a number of them could not be accessed.
But most banks and some state institutions rendered them useless as they rejected them as an unrecognised state ID card.
By: Emmanuel Kofi Nkansah, Email: Manuelnkansah33@gmail.com