NIA to prosecute individuals who engage in Ghana Card double registration

The National Identification Authority (NIA) is warning members of the public against attempting to register for a Ghana Card more than once by taking advantage of the mop-up registration that is ongoing.

Francis Palmdeti, head of corporate affairs for the NIA, said that anyone who engages in such acts will be arrested and prosecuted.

“It is important also to state that those who have already registered and do not have their cards – those who have lost their cards, those who have mistakes on their card – the mop-up exercise is not their exercise.

“So they shouldn’t go back to register. It will be double registration, and the system will not issue a second card but will call for investigation and prosecution.”

Hitting targets

Palmdeti was speaking to Nana Yaa Mensah on yesterday morning’s Asaase Breakfast Show about the NIA’s mop-up exercise in the Greater Accra, Ahafo, Bono and Bono East Regions.

He said the NIA will soon decentralise the exercise by setting up district offices across the country to help resolve such challenges.

“As we speak, we are piloting 23 district offices. The idea is to have district offices across the country,” he said.

The NIA, which has registered 14 million applicants so far, is hopeful it will meet its target of 16.7 million names on the register by the end of the exercise.

Essential ID

The mop-up, which began on Monday in Greater Accra, will be replicated in the three remaining regions (the area covered by the former Brong-Ahafo) over a period of 16 days next month.

Palmdeti estimates that the register will hit the 15 million mark after the mop-up in Greater Accra, which will end on 8 September.

He wants applicants who have not registered to do so in order to avoid missing out on the large number of essential services which, from October, will require possession of a Ghana Card.

Fred Dzakpata

* Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online.
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