Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), stated that over 800,000 printed national identification cards (also known as Ghana Cards) have not yet been collected.
According to Professor Attafuah, the NIA has opened a total of 276 district offices that are coterminous with constituencies in addition to 16 regional offices. Individuals who have been registered but have not yet collected their Ghana Cards should go to any of the offices that are closest to them in order to retrieve their identification documents.
The news comes at a time when a large number of people have blamed their inability to participate in the recent SIM card reregistration on the fact that they do not have the Ghana Card, which is the only national ID required for the exercise.
As a result of the situation, many SIM card users and subscribers to various telecommunication services have had their mobile numbers blocked.
Out of the country’s total population of 31 million people, the National Identification Authority (NIA) reported that it had successfully registered 17.4 million adults (aged 15 or older) since 2019. 16.3 million of these individuals have already received their cards after applying for them. It is estimated that there are still approximately 2.5 million people who have not yet been registered and issued their cards.
The Authority is planning to carry out a mop-up operation in order to register the remaining citizens over the course of the next three months.
The Authority has stated that it is collaborating with the Births and Deaths Registry as well as the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in order to register new-borns and provide them with their own individual identification numbers that are linked to those of their parents. Those who are 0 to 15 years old fall under this category.
On the other hand, a partnership agreement has been made with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to begin the process of registering and issuing Ghana Cards to children who are between the ages of 6 and 14.
Prof. Attafuah disclosed this information during a ceremony to register approximately fifty cured lepers at the Weija Leprosarium. He also made it clear that no Ghanaian will be overlooked in the registration process for Ghana Cards.
In light of this information, he stated that efforts are being made to travel throughout the country to also register inmates and patients of specialised institutions. Some of these institutions include homes for cured lepers and hospitals, amongst others.
In spite of their disability, which prevented cured lepers from participating in the mass registration exercise, Prof. Attafuah explained that the NIA has devised a plan to capture their biometric data using the facials, irises, and ears of those who are being registered. This will be done by comparing the facials, irises, and ears of those who are being registered.
According to what he had to say, the event was significant because “it assures the people of this country of our bounding duty to ensure social, economic, and political inclusion.”
The law that established the authority mandates that all citizens of Ghana, regardless of their social or economic standing, must have their names entered into the national identity register. In this regard, he gave the impression that the NIA will also move forward with registering people who are currently incarcerated.
The registration of the cured lepers was made possible thanks to the efforts of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. He acknowledged that the Ghana Card is important for all citizens of the country because it will be required for many official undertakings in the future.
Because of this, he explained, it is essential to ensure that nobody is overlooked or denied the opportunity to be registered. According to him, it is in this context that the possibility has arisen to register the cured lupus patients.
“This is going to be repeated in other parts of the country,” he guaranteed, adding that for example, the law prescribes some 17 mandatory uses of the Ghana Card – which is why everyone must be registered by the NIA. “This is going to be repeated in other parts of the country,” he guaranteed.
He complimented the NIA for being able to register a significant number of Ghanaians, while also disclosing that usage of the GhanaCard has increased, with data showing that over 120 million identity verifications have been performed using it.
The Head of the Weija Leprosarium, Rt. Rev. Father Andrews Campbell, while welcoming the activity at the facility also noted the challenges faced in being able to care for those who are housed at the leprosarium.
In light of the scarcity of financial resources, he pleaded with members of the general public to maintain their assistance to leprosy patients all over the nation. In this regard, he felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Vice President Dr. Bawumia for the deep interest he took in assisting the cured ex-lepers.