‘Fake’ Ghana Cards Regrettable--NIA Laments

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has said it has not registered any Minority Members of Parliament for the Ghana Card.

This is after some pictures of the Ghana Card circulating on social media had the details of some Minority members like the Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak.

But the NIA in a statement has clarified that it has “no evidence of having registered any Minority MP” and “has not issued a Ghana Card to any Minority MP.”

The NIA also noted that “the purported Personal Identification Numbers on the cards fall completely outside the unique numbering system and scope of NIA.”

Also, “the pictures on the cards also don't conform to NIA picture requirements,” the Authority added.

“While this statement is meant to deny the Authority's knowledge, involvement or connection with the fake cards, the Authority will soon issue a comprehensive statement covering the technical and operational processes involved in the issuance of the Ghana Card,” the statement added.

The NIA’s full statement can be viewed here. Minority upset

The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, has already expressed his side’s displeasure with the development.

Muntaka Mubarak told Citi News that the Ghana Cards were fake.

Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak
He stated that if he knew where the picture of the fake cards emanated from, the Minority would pursue legal action.

“The sad thing is that the way it is trending, you don't know where it started for you to hold the person accountable. It would have been helpful if any of them could be courageous to say I saw it and I posted so that we can sue that person for defamation.”

The circulation was a matter of concern because of the Minority’s boycott of the registration.

The Minority is against the NIA only accepting passports and birth certificates to establish citizenship.

It wants the Voters' ID card to also be accepted as proof of citizenship. Court Action

The Minority is currently backing a Supreme Court to challenge against the NIA's basis for only accepting passports and birth certificates.

The Minority insists the NIA is wrongly interpreting the landmark 2016 judgment in the Abu Ramadan vs Electoral Commission case.

The Supreme Court ordered the Electoral Commission to expunge from the voters' register the names of all persons who registered and voted in the 2012 elections with the National Health Insurance (NHIS) card.

The judgment followed contentions that non-Ghanaians had been registered using the NHIS card.

Until the legal challenge is resolved, the Minority says it will be continuing its boycott of the process