President Akufo-Addo interacting with the chiefs at Tadzevu
President Akufo-Addo says Ghanaians, particularly citizens of Volta Region, who do not have passports and birth certificates, should not panic because they will surely get their National Identification Cards, otherwise known as Ghana Cards.
“As president, every Ghanaian with or without a birth certificate and passport would get a Ghana Card because it’s non-negotiable.
The President gave the assurance at separate durbars at Anlgoa in the Keta Municipality and Tadzewu in the North Tongu Municipality on the first day of his three-day tour of the Volta Region.
The President stated emphatically that the two statutory documents (passport and birth certificate) are not the only means to secure Ghana Cards as being speculated by some people, particularly members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He explained that “we are not disenfranchising anybody. If you don’t have a birth certificate, you don’t have a passport, all you have to do is to produce somebody, who is a Ghanaian to vouch for you and you will get your papers.”
Minority Is Confused
President Akufo-Addo could not fathom why some people in the NDC hold the notion that the National Identification Authority (NIA) would disenfranchise some Ghanaians when Parliament, made up of both the Majority NPP and Minority NDC, approved the NIA law to guide the process of acquiring the Ghana Card.
“Everybody is entitled to it. I (President Akufo-Addo) have no interest whatsoever in disenfranchising any Ghanaian, the card is meant for Ghanaians, and that is why Parliament, with the full support of both sides of the House, the Minority and the Majority, supported the new law that is being applied by the NIA. So it’s unfortunate that some people (Minority, NDC) are approving and disapproving their own work. The work that was done by Parliament was done on a bi-partisan national, consensus basis,” he added.
“To this end, there is no justification for people (NDC and Minority) coming to say these particular people [NPP] are doing this to disenfranchising X, Y or Z.”
He, therefore, urged the chiefs to disregard false reports being peddled and mobilise their people to secure the Ghana Cards.
“If any of your subjects do not have a birth certificate or passport, it’s written in the law that you produce somebody, who has already registered, they can come to vouch for you, and you will get your papers. So there can be no question that anybody is going to be disenfranchised.
Ghana Card Project
The President said despite the strong opposition to the exercise, he would ensure that the project is completed under his tenure for all Ghanaians to have their Ghana Cards.
“It began in Kufuor’s time (2001-2008) and up to date, we have not completed it. By the grace of God it will be completed in Akufo-Addo’s time.
Explaining how a similar initiative is helping neighbouring Togo, he said, “Torgbeo, Mamaoo, over the last eight years (2009-2016) before the NPP came, we were unable to do anything about the National Identification Card. You live here very close to Togo and you know that everybody there [Togo] may have Carte d’identité [Identification Card], and it helps them in the organisation of their national life.”
President Akufo-Addo said, “We, in Ghana, have not been able to do it, eight years came and nothing happened. Parliament has passed the law, which the NIA or authority is implementing. But we need to do it, we need to do it for our planning, we need to do it for the organization of our state, he emphasized.
NDC’s Claim
Former President John Mahama, the national executives of the NDC and the Minority in Parliament have all boycotted the registration process to protest against the exclusion of the Voters’ ID card as a primary document to register for Ghana Cards.
According to the new NIA law, which was passed by Parliament, persons with passports and birth certificates would be allowed to register for the Ghana Cards.
From Fred Duodu, Anloga and Tadzewu (k.duodu@yahoo.com)