Minority In Parliament To Hit Streets Over Ghana Card

The Minority in Parliament has threatened to stage a demonstration to protest the National Identification Authority's quest to accept only passports and birth certificates as identification forms for the registration and instant issuance of the Ghana Card.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority has said over 70 percent of Ghanaians could be denied the Ghana Card if nothing is done.

The issuance of Ghana Card was among the government's key promises to formalize the country's economy.

“We in the minority have indicated that we are prepared to use constitutional and legal means, and if possible, we will go on the streets,” the Minority Spokesperson for Communications, Alhaji A. B. A. Fuseini said to Citi News.

“We are talking about a population of about 30 million Ghanaians today. But you are doing an exercise in which only 7 million people, at best, in the widest possible participation [will be included].”

“Twenty-Three million people will be excluded. They will be deliberately, as a matter of conscious policy, be left out of the exercise. How can you call that a national exercise?”

The Minority is scheduled to hold a press conference in parliament today [Tuesday] over issues relating to the roll-out of the Ghana Card by the NIA.

The Minority also served notice of boycotting the registration of MPs onto the NIA database.

The Minority MPs said they are boycotting the exercise because the NIA has failed to address some concerns raised in terms of the identification requirement and cost of the entire project.

Former President John Mahama has already described the NIA’s approach as illogical.

According to him, the move will denationalize over 20 million Ghanaians.

He however assured that the NDC, will do everything possible to have the identification scope expanded for the exercise.

Meanwhile, officials of the NIA are expected later on Tuesday in Parliament to brief the House on their plans for the nationwide roll-out of the Ghana card registration.

They will meet selected committees of the House.
It is unclear if the planned registration exercise for MPs and Parliamentary staff would commence.