No car has been left to rot – NIA

Authorities of the National Identification Authority have taken an exception to a report by Citi News that over 50 vehicles have been left to rot at the head office.

The NIA has described the report as “untrue, unfair and unprofessional”.

The report with publication date, 2nd April 2019 indicated that, "more than 50 vehicles are wasting away at the headquarters of the National Identification Authority."

According to further insight from the publication, the “vehicles were procured by the previous administration, there is no sign the current administration will manage these new vehicles any better as one of the new cars has already been dumped with the old ones since Citi News first sighted it in January”.

However, in a statement released by the National Identification Authority, the reportage “only draws wild and baseless conclusions from unfounded assumptions”.

The statement further revealed that, “at no point did the reporter contact the Executive Secretary, the Head of Corporate Affairs or the Deputy Head of Corporate Affairs by way of a phone call, e-mail, Whatsapp or any other medium of communication to afford NIA an opportunity to respond to his so-called findings”.

The Authority is currently embarking on a nationwide registration exercise for the Ghana card, which is expected to be a multipurpose Identification Card for Ghanaians.

Below is a copy of the full statement:

PRESS RELEASE

NO CAR HAS BEEN LEFT TO ROT AT NIA

The attention of the National Identification Authority (NIA) has been drawn to a story published by Citi News with the caption “Over 50 vehicles left to rot at National Identification Authority” authored by one Caleb Kudah. NIA wishes to set the records straight.

We take great exception to the claim made in the story by the author that “The Authority has declined to respond to Citi News findings”. At no point did the reporter contact the Executive Secretary, the Head of Corporate Affairs or the Deputy Head of Corporate Affairs by way of a phone call, email, whatsapp or any other medium of communication to afford NIA an opportunity to respond to his so-called findings.

Citi News (Ms Zoe Abu-Baidoo) admitted this yesterday when I telephoned to complain about the claim that NIA declined to respond. In the circumstances, that statement and the entire story are wholly untrue, unfair and unprofessional. The story draws wild and baseless conclusions from unfounded assumptions. For the avoidance of doubt, we state the facts about the said vehicles as follows:

1. Before the Executive Secretary, Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah assumed office, an Internal Inventory Report (IIR) was prepared dated 27th May 2015.

2. Subsequently, after Prof. Attafuah assumed office (in February 2017) a Status Report of vehicles belonging to NIA was prepared dated 1st March, 2017 out of the said IIR.

3. Based on the Status Report, the Executive Secretary constituted a Board of Survey (BOS) on 18th May 2017 to conduct a thorough technical assessment of the state of NIA vehicles and related assets at the NIA Head Office in Accra. He also constituted another BOS to undertake a similar exercise in Kumasi, Sunyani and Tamale.

4. The two BOS carried out their duties across the country from the 21st May to 6th June 2017.

5. In their findings, the BOS identified and classified some of the vehicles as Serviceable, Unserviceable and obsolete.

6. Section 83(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended provides that, an item can be declared unserviceable if the cost of repair exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the market value of a similar item.

7. Ninety-two (92) of the vehicles were considered by the BOS as UNSERVICEABLE.

8. Following the recommendations of the BOS, the Executive Secretary, by letter dated 22nd March 2018, formally requested Intercity STC Coaches Ltd (STC) to conduct a valuation of the 92 unserviceable vehicles.

9. STC is yet to complete its work and submit a report. The Executive Secretary has reminded STC of this pending valuation.

10. Under the circumstances, NIA is awaiting the valuation report from STC, following the receipt of which it will do the needful to dispose of the unserviceable vehicles in accordance with the law. The appointment of a Public Auctioneer cannot precede the completion of the valuation exercise by the competent statutory body – STC.

11. The NIA Governing Board has been fully apprised of these developments.

12. Finally, the reporter’s claim that the said vehicles were procured by the previous government is not correct. Ninety percent (90%) of the vehicles were purchased in 2007, three (3) in 2004, one (1) in 2005 with four (4) in 2010. A Government directive in 2014 required the re-registration of all government vehicles with a green number plate which explains the 2014 number plates on the said vehicles.

Most of these vehicles are over twelve (12) years old and very few of them are still being used by the Authority. The NIA believes that good journalistic work or reportage is good for Ghana and must be encouraged. There is also no doubt that Citi Fm is one of the leading media houses in the country, however, on this particular story it has not done itself justice.

SGND:

ACI FRANCIS PALMDETI

HEAD, CORPORATE AFFAIRS, NIA