NIA assures workers or payment of allowances

Accra, March 2, GNA- The National Identification Authority on Monday said it shared the concerns of the Mobile Registration Workstation (MRW) operators saying it was rigorously working to have their allowances paid.

In reaction to a demonstration staged by the MRW operators in Accra on Monday it said requests for the release of funds for payment of their allowances were made to the previous government on November 19, December 18, January 5 this year and then the transitional sub-committee on economic affairs at the Finance Ministry on January 12.

A statement issued to the GNA in Accra said the Executive Secretary, Professor Ken Attafuah also personally met the Vice president John Dramani Mahama in January on the same issue. It said again on February 4, Prof. Attafuah met with the Chief of Staff at the Castle and approved the release of funds to pay outstanding allowances to the MRW operators.

The statement noted that the delay in payment of allowances was due to the long administrative process that the NIA had to undergo to get money from the government. "The NIA wishes to assure the general public that it has not suspended its operations. It is simply awaiting the release of funds by government in order to continue with its operations commencing with the mass registration exercise in the Volta Region. Thereafter, the NIA will conduct registration in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper East and West regions in that order".