Ghana card, not just an ordinary card

In recent times, the Ghana card registration has been quite a topical issue on television, radio and online portals. There has been reports about the stress involved in getting registered, petty misunderstandings about the registration process. Applicants going as early as 2:00am to form queues,just to mention a few.

Lately, there has been an interlocutory injunction application asking the National Identification Authority, to halt its mass registration exercise in the Eastern Region to control the spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID 19) pandemic.

The National Identification Authority (NIA) was established in 2003 with the mandate to issue National Identity Cards. The official order of the NIA includes the establishment of a national database and a network to collect ,process,recoup and disseminate personal information of individuals.The National Identification system is a peculiar, trustworthy and secure way of verifying an individual's identity.The NIA identity system uses three diffirent biometric technology to identify an individual,ie the facial template,fingerprint and the iris.

The Authority has its headquarteres in Accra and is headed by Prof. Ken Attafuah, a licensed Ghanaian criminologist, mediator, management consultant, and human rights advocate.

The identity requirement for registration and issuance of the Ghana card include a birth certificate,a valid passport,valid certificate of acquired citizenship and any other information which may be required by the Authority.

In an instance where an applicant is unable to provide the above-stated documents, a relative of the applicant such as father, mother, uncle or husband etc , is to identify the applicant under oath,Per section 8(2) of Act 750 as substituted by section 3(b) of Act 950.

Where the applicant has no known relatives, a serving or retired Civil Servant or two persons determined by the Governing Board of NIA is to identify the applicant under oath.

The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS),is the central platform technology that enables accurate and prompt fingerprint ,the AFIS affirms fingerprint identification precision of at least 99.9percent.

The Ghana card ultimately identifies an individual based on biometric features and can be used for the verification and authentification of identity in any instance.To some people ,the Ghana Card is just an ordinary card, but then, there is more to it than meets the eye.

The Ghana card is a national identity card that is issued to Ghanaian citizens both residents and non-resident , legal and permanent residents and foreign nationals.Applicants who are 15 and above will have a smart dual interface identity card,whilst applicants 14years and below will have a 2 dimentional identity card.For now,those mandated to register are those 15 and above. The Ghana card is a property of the government of Ghana.

The card serves as a proof of identity and citizenship.Among the features of the card is the randomly generated Personal Identification Number (PIN),that can be used to access any information of an individual.It is in this regard that makes the Ghana card serve several salient purposes;

Passport: The Personal Identification Number (PIN) is captured on the passport and the personal information cross-checked with the already existing data in the National Identification System. An individual who do not possess the Ghana Card may not be able to acquire a passport because the card is the only way to properly authenticate a person's nationality .

Driver's License: One of the required item of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is the Ghana Card . The PIN is captured on a driver's license and vehicle registration documents. In addition to this, personal information is also verified from the NIA to determine a person's true identity for license acquisition and also to establish the true identities of vehicle owners .

Shipping and Clearing of Goods from the Port: When a Ghana Card holder exports out of Ghana or imports into Ghana,every bit of their information are directly linked to their Personal Identification Number (PIN) to eliminate fraud and theft in the shipping and clearing of goods at the ports and harbours of Ghana.

Banking Services: One can use their card as verification document during account opening , withdrawal or for any other

transaction.Moreso,sssit is easy for a Ghana Card holder to take a loan from the bank because their identity can be easily verified and traced.

Credit Information: Anytime one wants to apply for a loan , The Ghana Card allows the banks in Ghana to easily establish a person's credit-worthiness from the Credit agencies.

Business Registration: The Registrar General's Department makes it a requirement for all business owners to provide their PIN on the Ghana Card during business registration. This prevents multiple registrations of businesses for fraudulent purposes. Moreso,it helps identify individuals as the true owners of their business

Education: A child who possess's a Ghana Card PIN has his or her information captured during enrollment into primary school. That same number is used for admission into every school level until the child completes his or her education. It helps in tracking the progress record of the child ,eliminates impersonation and also aid acquisition of student loan.

Disaster Management: Identification of true victims of disasters is often problematic because there are impersonators who take advantage of the absence of credible identification system to benefit at the expense of the affected ones.The information on a persons Ghana Card is used to establish whether they are the real affected ones and whether or not they live in an area affected by a disaster to enable them receive relief items.

Electoral Registration: During voter registration, a Ghana Card holder's PIN is captured for the authentication of their citizenship, name, age and residence to determine whether they qualify to vote or not.

Travelling: At airports, borders, police check posts and while booking tickets ,a person's identity is checked with the use of the PIN on their Ghana card.Also,the Ghana card can be used for international travel within the ECOWAS regions when contries in the region begin to use e-gate at their borders .

Pension Claims: The Ghana Card identifies an individual as the rightful person authorized to receive their pension benefits. In the event of the Ghana Card holder's death, only their children or spouse named on their Ghana Card will benefit from their pension claim.

Just so you know,the Ghana card is not just an ordinary card, if your personal information is not in the National Identification Register,you may be exempted from several social,economic and political benefits.

If you do not have the card, or have ever felt reluctant to have one,please do have a re-think.Get registered as soon as registration re-opens.

Remember,registering more than once is an offense purnishishable by law involving imprisonment or fine .

Esther Owusu

Mobile Workstation Registration Operator(MWRO)

Region : Ashanti,Central,Eastern