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Learned and responsible Ghanaians must not make any mistake to support those crafty and power-consumed politicians and their agents and assigns clamouring against the Electoral Commission's resolute determination to refuse the acceptance of the current voter's card as proof of one's Ghanaian identity. The current voter's card does not in even any minuscule way, serve as a proof of the holder's Ghanaian nationality.
Is it not only Ghanaians of eighteen years and above and are of sound mind that are allowed to participate in Ghana general elections to elect Members of Parliament and the President of the Republic? Is this fact not stated, or entrenched, in Article 42 of the Ghana 1992 Constitution, the mother of Ghana laws and the bloodline of the nation's democratic dispensation? Does a Section or sub-section of that Article not tell how a Ghanaian nationality is obtained? If yes, do all the holders of the current voter's card who claim to be Ghanaians, qualify under the requirements so stated in Article 42? No!!!
Some of the holders of the current voter's card used the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card to obtain them? Was the NHIS card issued to only Ghanaians or anyone in Ghana including Ghanaians, legal and illegal immigrants? What was the purpose for the issuance of the NHIS card to all interested persons in Ghana? Would the Supreme Court Justices please tell me?
I have already for the past years and this year published articles on why the current voter's card is not a genuine document to be accepted for one's Ghanaian identity or nationality. Should it be accepted to enable their holders to be re-registered onto the intended credible new voter register, then the new voter register is already blemished even before it is compiled.
I am sure the Supreme Court will not through the backdoor confer Ghanaian nationality on legal and illegal immigrants who have not gone through the processes of acquiring Ghanaian nationality as are indicated under Article 42 of the Ghana 1992 Constitution.
There is a precedent in the United Kingdom where National Health Service (NHS) card, of the same value and purpose as Ghana's NHIS card, is not accepted for proof of the holder's identity, why because the card was issued to people in the United Kingdom to permit them access free healthcare. As I speak, the NHS card for the past fifteen to twenty years is issued to only British citizens, EU citizens and legal immigrants but no longer to illegal immigrants yet, it is not accepted for one's proof of identity.
Ghanaians should not cheapen themselves to dish out their nationality to foreigners who have not gone through the laid down procedure as specified in the Constitution for the acquisition of Ghanaian nationality all because some rogue politicians and some uneducated-literates pursuing their selfish greedy interests are agitating for the inclusion of the holders of the current voter's card as Ghanaians hence must be registered onto the new voter roll to be able to vote in Ghana.
The fact that those people have used the voter card to vote in all previous elections does not make them genuine Ghanaians, period! We should not continue to underrate our intelligence all because of our dirty, shameful and denigrating politicking.
All the reasons so far offered by the NDC for opposing the refusal of the current voter's card as the holder's Ghanaian identity are all nonsensical and not firmly grounded in Ghana laws. The law is the law and the supreme source of the laws defines who a Ghanaian is. Therefore, there should be no any ifs or buts until the Constitution has been amended to bestow Ghanaian nationality on any Tom, Dick and Harry found in the country. Until then, let us all respect the constitutional requirements as are currently stipulated.
Assuming someone has been stealing for several years without anyone doing anything to him, does it go to signify that stealing is legal and that it must be encouraged or the known thief in this context must be allowed to continue to steal when a new law is coming into play to ban stealing?
From my travel experience and knowledge gained living in some countries outside Ghana, no country's nationality is acquired without conforming with their constitutional requirements. Ghana should not be seen to be the only odd one to dish Ghanaian nationality to anyone found in the country because of the short-sightedness, greediness and selfishness of some politicians and their accomplices.
Should we do that, then all the Chinese nationals in the country holding NHIS card must be allowed to register to vote in Ghana because they are automatic Ghanaians. Was it not the NHIS card that the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, allowed to be used as the holder's Ghanaian identity to register onto the current voter register?
Ghanaians, please let us reason as intelligent human beings but not as fools. Why should we allow power-drunk politicians in pursuit of their corruption fool us to side with them? Is it because of their loudmouth and ability to threaten us with mayhem should they not have their way all of the time?
