President Akufo-Addo has said the commencement of the production and distribution of the Ghana Card, an instant, free National ID card for all Ghanaians, is yet another indication that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is committed to their manifesto promises.
Speaking at the test registration today [Friday] to officially outdoor the ID card, the President said :”The NPP government under my leadership has not only prioritized the NIA, but also demonstrated commitment to making the NIA work again. Today’s ceremony also constitutes a practical demonstration of the fulfillment of yet another promise of my party, the New Patriotic Party, during the 2016 campaign, that we will mobilize and formalize the Ghanaian economy through the establishment of a credible national data base and using the National Identification System (NIS) as the primary identifier as prescribed by the law.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”uK1SDDHaltuQ18CIxYRefL07picBfYFs”]The registration process started under the erstwhile Kufour administration, but stalled under successive governments.
But speaking at the test registration today [Friday] at the NIA, President Akufo-Addo blamed the circulation of too many IDs in the system on the failure of previous governments to complete the process.
He however expressed optimism in the ability of the card to improve the quality of life of Ghanaians.
Between July 2008 and May 2010, the National Identification Authority began mass registration of Ghanaians for the unique ID cards.
A total of 11 million people in six regions were registered in the process. Amidst various challenges, collection of the cards started later in 2011.
Few years after, some state institutions and banks rejected it as an unrecognized state identification card.
Meanwhile the President has sworn in eight members of the governing board of the National Identification Authority, charging them to work with utmost integrity and professionalism.
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By: Marian Ansah & Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana