Prof Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah flanked by his lieutenants
More than 4.8 million people have registered for the Ghana card since the rollout of the revamped National Identification System (NIS) project by government, Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA) has revealed.
Prof Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah said the registrants are from the Greater Accra, Volta, Oti, Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East, Upper West, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.
Addressing the media in Kumasi to announce the commencement of registration for Ghana card in the Ashanti Region, he stated that authority is left with five more regions to complete the mass registration.
“It must be indicated that the NIA has, to date, registered a total of 4,857, 845 persons and printed cards of 4, 291, 840,” Prof Attafuah disclosed, and added that the authority had issued 2,695,478 cards to qualified Ghanaians.
He said the mass registration exercise in the Ashanti Region would start from Wednesday, December 11, 2019 to Wednesday January 8, 2020, at 833 designated registration centres in 47 of NIA’s operational districts in the region, indicating that the centres will be opened from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm each day, excluding Sundays and statutory public holidays.
He asserted that the revamped NIS project constitutes a major developmental impetus, particularly in transforming and formalizing the Ghanaian economy.
According to him, the project will also enhance e-governance in the country as it offers tremendous opportunities for all Ghanaians to harness their responsibilities and obligations.
The NIA boss said the national data base would again improve the manner and quality of providing and accessing various Government services through the use of the Ghana Card, pointing out that Ghanaians will, for the first time, be able to access e-government and e-commerce services by using the Ghana Card, assured of the security, reliability and traceability of the identities of the bearer.
“It will also contribute to revenue mobilization, digital address tracing, crime control and effective policing in the country,” the learned Professor of criminology noted.
He said the authority piloted the registration exercise through institutional and community, which resulted in significant improvements to the technical system.
“The first phase of the revamped National Identification System project rollout took place on 15th September 2017 when the National Identification Authority conducted a liveness test of the National Identity Card (Ghana Card) issuance process and the registration and instant issuance of the first Ghana Card to His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”
He disclosed that the mass registration exercise started on the 29th April 2019 with Greater Accra being the first region, after the second phase rollout at Jubilee House, Parliament House, the Judicial Service, the security sector and several key influencers in society.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi