Ghanaians urged to help purge NIS of illegal foreigners

Ghanaians have been asked to report foreign nationals who may attempt to register for the Ghana National Identification Card to ensure credible and acceptable national identification system.

Professor Kenneth Agyeman Attafuah, Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA) who made the call noted that an efficient and dependable identification will facilitate the realisation of political and socio-economic rights for the greater good of all.

He was addressing a public lecture held by the College of Humanities and Legal Studies of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Tuesday on the topic: "National identification system and Ghana's Development” and gave the assurance that the NIA was committed to building a national identification system that was robust, integrated and inclusive.

An effective ID system, he said would significantly serve as the enabler of many other development targets in social protection, financial inclusion, women empowerment and achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, which seeks to provide "legal identity for all, including birth registration" by 2030.

He said every Ghanaian citizen living within the country and abroad had the right to be in the National Identification System and citizens from age zero (0) were entitled to be issued with a national ID card, as required by the law.

On registration procedures, he indicated that documents such as driving licences, National Health Insurance cards, baptismal certificates and voter’s identity card would be accepted and that all Ghanaians living at home and abroad, Ghanaians with dual citizenship, and all persons aged 0 years and above will be covered.

Consequently, the NIA has recruited and trained 2,700 commissioners of oath to operate alongside staff of the NIA during the registration for the Ghana Card to provide ready services to Ghanaians who did not have the required documents, to avoid delay.

Prof. Attafuah said the re-registration and instant issuance of the Ghana Card, which commenced on Monday, May 28, 2018, would cost the country, $1.2 billion over a 15-year implementation period for the realisation of the financing arrangements designed for the project.

The government is contributing $531 million while the Identity Management System (IMS), which is partnering the NIA under a public/private partnership (PPP) agreement, would provide $678 million for the exercise.

He explained that under the arrangement, the government would have a 60 percent share in the profit, with the private partner taking 40 per cent.

Prof Attafuah said the government was bearing the cost of deployment, the allowances of personnel, generators and the creation and maintenance of regional and district NIA offices while the private partner would bear the cost of technology and equipment, with the technology to be enhanced every five years.