Speaker registers for new national ID

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye together with the leadership of the Majority in Parliament had been registered and issued with the new national identity card (Ghana Card).

Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Majority leader, Ms Sarah Adwoa Sarfo, Deputy Majority leader and Mr Kwesi Ameyaw Kyeremeh, the Majority Chief Whip, were among those, to have received their cards. The registration exercise which started in parliament last week Tuesday is expected to cover Members of Parliament (MP), the staff of the parliamentary service and parliamentary press corps.

The Jubilee House, parliament, judicial service and the security services would be first covered before the mass registration across the country in August, this year.

The Minority in Parliament had boycotted the registration over the decision by the National Identification Authority (NIA) not to accept the voter ID card as a proof of citizenship for a person to be listed for the new Ghana card.

The Minority had threatened to file a suit at the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the NIA.

They had also raised questions about the cost, scope and legality of the project.

Mr Ameyaw Kyeremeh speaking to media after taking his Ghana Card urged everybody to avail themselves of the mass registration.

He said despite the initial hitches, he was confident that the mass exercise was going to be smooth.