Prof. Ken Attafuah, NIA boss
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has stated that it will issue 3,875,441 printed cards to Ghana Card applicants in 5,635 registration centres in all 16 regions of Ghana, concurrently, starting from today, Monday June 8, to Tuesday, June 16, 2020.
According to the NIA, “this nationwide card issuance blitz will enable 11,062,850 Ghanaians to possess Ghana Cards in good time”.
“Out of the 11,062,850 Ghanaians who have been registered for the Ghana Card, 501,716 are below the age of 18years, 10,295,578 are above 18years and 264,829 will be 18years by 7th December 2020,” the Authority said in a statement signed by its head of corporate affairs, ACI Francis Palmdeti.
The distribution exercise will enable the card holders to vouch for their relatives and “other Ghanaians who wish to register during the nationwide Mop-Up registration exercise commencing on 18th June 2020 and ending in mid-September 2020.”
Ghana Cards and voters’ register
The NIA added that the exercise will also enable persons in possession of the Ghana Card to use it for other mandatory purposes, including registering as a voter and vouching for others as Ghanaians.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has provided three ways through which one can register during the compilation of the new voters’ register.
According to the EC, prospective applicants must have the Ghana Card, Ghanaian passport or get two people with any of the documents to vouch for them.
The distribution exercise by the NIA will, therefore, increase the number of Ghanaians with the Ghana Card, and subsequently increase the number of people with the requisite documents to be able to go through the voters’ registration exercise or be able to vouch for others.
Safety measures
The NIA assured that it would provide adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for all of its field officials for use during the exercise, adding: “All Registration Centres will be equipped with the requisite resources to ensure the effective observance of all prescribed health and safety protocols.”
“In addition, security personnel will be deployed at each Registration Centre to ensure that crowd control measures such as physical distancing and appointment system are strictly observed,” it added.
“Applicants attending at NIA card collection centres MUST wear a mask and wash their hands before they begin the card collection process,” the statement concluded.
