Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has urged the National Identification Authority (NIA) to add the voter ID card to its list of base documents required for registration for the Ghana Card.
"It should be added", Mr Kufuor told journalists at his residence on Tuesday, 26 June after NIA officials went there to register him.
"It's been a rigorous exercise", Mr Kufuor said, adding: "Almost for the past two hours, which means it could take a lot of time", especially "when you are going to do it for over 30 million people", explaining: "Documents that will help identify a citizen as a citizen will be sovereign authority in him or her so if your voter ID is not incorporated", then it is problematic.
Apart from Mr Kufuor, former President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the main opposition party, has also registered for the card despite his party’s boycott of the process over the NIA’s refusal to include voter IDs as base documents.
On Tuesday, the Minority in Parliament described as “needless, unfortunate and misplaced”, “attacks” hurled at the caucus by President Nana Akufo-Addo in connection with their boycott of the Ghana Card registration process and demand that voter IDs be added to the base documents required for the registration.
Last week, the president said claims by former President John Mahama and the Minority in parliament that using only birth certificates and passports as base documents for the registration will de-nationalise over 20 million Ghanaians, is unfortunate.
During its last Unity Walk in the Volta Region early June, Mr Mahama said there were attempts by the Akufo-Addo government to disenfranchise and de-nationalise millions of Ghanaians using “illogical” criteria for the registration and acquisition of the Ghana Card.
He then assured the public that the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will fight on the side of Ghanaians to ensure they are identified and not de-nationalised by the National Identification Authority (NIA) in the process of acquiring the national identification card.
The NIA insists it will use only the two documents to establish citizenship of registrants for the Ghana Card.
However, Mr Mahama, who was addressing a gathering of supporters of the NDC on Saturday, 9 June 2018, said: “This is a deliberate attempt to de-nationalise some of our people and we shall not accept it. We will use every legitimate instrument that is possible under a democracy to ensure that every Ghanaian is able to register”.
According to him, “If you go to one of the villages in my constituency [Bole] and let me use an example, Hodiyiri, it’s a small community in Bole Bamboi, perhaps, nobody in Hodiyiri has a birth certificate or passport so for the 300 or 400 people in Hodiyiri with no birth certificate or passport to prove that they are Ghanaians, how are you going to register those people in Hodiyiri?”
“And, so, I don’t know, it is illogical and short-sighted and a very strong symbol of incompetence that you cannot think far and see that on the basis of what you have prescribed as a criteria for qualification of the national ID card, you are going to disenfranchise more than 20 million of our citizens and that is unacceptable, and, so, the NDC is going to do everything to fight for the best interest of the majority of the people to make sure they are going to be identified to be given cards so that they can be identified as bona fide Ghanaians”.
Also, the Minority, in a statement issued on 10 June, said it was boycotting the registration over unresolved questions concerning the $1.2 billion cost involved and the use of only passports and birth certificates.
“First, it was our understanding that the National Identification Authority, would engage Members of Parliament in a meeting to clarify a number of issues relating to the roll out of the exercise. This meeting was duly advertised in the Business Statement at least twice only to be postponed again this time indefinitely when the Business Statement was read by the Majority Chief Whip, Hon. Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh last Friday the 8th of June, 2018. We still have no indication when this crucial meeting will be held.
“Second, significant questions remain about the cost, scope and legality of the project as well as registration requirements.
“With regards to the cost of the project, the leadership of the NIA, has been less than candid with the people of Ghana. Whereas documents available to us show that the total project cost is $ 1.4 billion which can be broken down into $1,221,476,123 actual cost and tax exemption of $ 176 million, the Chief Executive Officer of the NIA, Prof Ken Attafuah, is on record as saying it will cost $ 293 million.
“We are also aware that despite the provision of Government support by the Akufo-Addo government in respect of revenue projections for the project, this has not been brought to Parliament for approval in accordance with Ghanaian Law.
“Furthermore, we remain opposed to the restriction of identification requirements for registration to Passports and Birth Certificates. Our analysis show that this will prevent about 23 million Ghanaians from obtaining the Ghana Card and deprive them of any benefit thereof.
“We also have grave concerns about potential breaches of Procurement laws and processes”, the Minority Caucus said in a statement, adding: “In view of the foregoing, we are unable to participate in the registration exercise slated for tomorrow at Parliament house. Subsequent to this statement, we will hold a comprehensive press conference on Tuesday, 12 June 2018 to shed more light on our position and matters arising out of the National Identification project”.
Delivering an address at the 2018 Ashesi University congregation, however, President Akufo-Addo said: “I do not think that there are more credible basic document requirements for establishing nationality or citizenship than a birth certificate or a passport. An appropriate acceptable mechanism has been provided in the law to verify the claims of those who have neither.”
“What then are we to make of the outrage being orchestrated by some high-ranking leaders of the opposition and some members of the minority in parliament when all the evidence points to their enthusiastic support of the national identity register amendment bill when it came before them in the House. I pray that we abandon giving politics a bad name and support this exercise to proceed rapidly to a successful end,” he added. The president also spoke about threats by some executives of the NDC in Ashaiman to disrupt the registration process, describing it as “ill-conceived, destructive adventures.”
“The language of de-nationalisation or threats of civil war, are, to say the least, extremely unfortunate. I am confident that the good sense of the Ghanaian people, the vigilance of the law enforcement agencies, will, together be sufficient to defeat any ill-conceived, destructive adventure for achieving narrow parochial interest. The lust for power should not cloud one’s sense of judgement. To call yourself a Ghanaian means you must be responsible citizen,” he said.
In response to the president’s comment, the Minority has issued a statement signed by leader Haruna Iddrisu, saying among other things that: “May we remind the President that only seven (7) million out of thirty (30) million Ghanaians have the two documents he speaks of. Is the President suggesting that he cares less about the citizenship or nationality of the remaining twenty-three (23) million Ghanaians? May we remind the President that his pronouncements cannot supersede Chapter Three (3) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which sets out in clear unambiguous terms who a citizen is”.
Read the full statement below
RE: CLAIMS BY PRESIDENT NANA AKUFO-ADDO ON NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS
The Minority has noted with surprise the sad commentary engaged in by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the weekend at the 2018 Ashesi University congregation.
The unfortunate comments and needless attacks by the President on the Minority are misplaced.
As a Minority, we expected that even if the President was going to comment on the matter, he would have sought to give a credible explanation to the outrageous cost of $1.22 billion that his government is saddling the Ghanaian tax payer with for the Ghana card.
We expected the President to explain to Ghanaians why they are paying in excess of $40 per card when across the world, the average price is $5 per card. This exorbitant and outrageous drain on the public purse is of no concern to the President apparently.
Even more astounding is the President's claim, in his unprovoked attack on the Minority, that there is no more credible basic document requirement for establishing nationality or citizenship than a birth certificate or a passport.
May we remind the President that only seven (7) million out of thirty (30) million Ghanaians have the two documents he speaks of. Is the President suggesting that he cares less about the citizenship or nationality of the remaining twenty-three (23) million Ghanaians? May we remind the President that his pronouncements cannot supersede Chapter Three (3) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which sets out in clear unambiguous terms who a citizen is.
The President must remain minded of the dictates of Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution and how this provision and its related processes including the Supreme Court ruling in Abu Ramadan v EC that led to the use of the Voter's ID cards in electing not just him as the 5th President of the 4th Republic on the 7th of December 2016 but all 275 Members of Parliament.
Mr. President, it is this same Voter's ID card that was used to elect you. Are you by any means suggesting that your election was illegitimate? The President has a duty of care to the Ghanaian people and the Ghanaian voter to ensure fair and equitable coverage of all eligible citizens in any national exercise in a manner that does not seek to disenfranchise any citizen. Mr. President, your actions contravene the letter and spirit of Articles 35 (2)(3)(5) of the 1992 Constitution and this is deeply regrettable.
The Minority has taken note of the attempt by Mr. President to pitch us as not being patriotic and against a national project. Mr. President, may we remind you that this process commenced under our period in Government at a more prudent cost of $115 million and was more encompassing taking into consideration every Ghanaian citizen properly so called.
In your inauguration speech, you called for us to be citizens not spectators, in this vein, we would continue to hold leadership to account on behalf of the Ghanaian public even as we remind you, Mr. President of your unenviable history of boycotting National events not limited to the Senchi National Economic Dialogue, the Investiture of President John Dramani Mahama, the National Day of Prayer but to mention just a few.
It is also worth noting that your attempt to brand the Minority as anarchist would not stick as Ghanaians remember who gloated over the violent actions during the Atiwa by-elections and also the now infamous call to violence - "All die be die".
The Minority would continue to hold your government accountable on behalf of Ghanaians and we urge you to show a little level of tolerance for constructive criticism as it is only then that we can truly serve the hopes and aspirations of the Ghanaian people. We urge you to do the right thing.
$1.2b for Ghana card is 'fraud'; give me only $50m and I’ll deliver it - Ken Agyapong
We urge you to put the National interest ahead of partisan considerations. We urge you to think of the twenty-three (23] million Ghanaians you are about to deny citizenship. We urge you Mr. President, to be a President for all Ghanaians and not a selected few.
Ghana and posterity await your action or inaction, Mr. President. [Signed] HARUNA IDDRISU, MP Minority Leader
Source: classfmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
the only thing that proves to anyone where you come from is your birth certificate. Even in the USA holding a green card does not make you a citizen of the US so what is Mr Kuffour and the NDC talking about. Its either your passport or birth certificate. Take it or leave it
What about those who are under 18 who do not have voters ID card?
I would have wish that if there are enough funds to engage graduates for this exercise, it should be done house to house like the population census so that all the foreigners can be identified and issued with a foreigners card. The people in the house can tell whether one is a Ghanaian or not. People should be educated as to the implications of foreigners getting access to the card. The foreigners should also be educated the consequence for having the card if they are not Ghanaians. All radio stations can be used for this education.
I once ask one Burkinabe who sells cloth why is he having a voter card. He told me that he use it to clear cheques at bank in case a customer gives him cheque. I will advise that the Ghana card should be linked with GRA tin to track true Ghanaians and for tax purposes. Most foreigners would not want to pay tax so we can use it to track them. If we allow foreigners to have access to the card, they will also have access to passports and we know what that means with a lot of Nigerians roaming in our streets. Ask anybody from Burkina Faso the toils they go through before even a birth certificate is issued to people not to talk of passports. They are able to trace you from third generation. But for Ghana because of politics and power we want to allow foreigners to have access to our card. We have allowed people from neighboring country to get access to our national health insurance card because of politics and the government of Ghana is paying. Those at the border just cross anytime they are sick and access healthcare in Ghana. That explains why NDC left those debts for NPP to come and pay. They always create these problems for Ghana anytime they are in power.
So how were holders of Voter ID cards identified as Ghanaians and registered to vote? I once employed a Togolese at the site of a building under construction and a Ghana voter's ID fell from his pocket when he stooped to pick up items. I queried him and asked him to return it to those who encouraged him to register a voter in Ghana whereas he is fully Togolese. Even passports should not be admitted as proof of citizenship. Ideally, everybody must be made to swear legally binding oath that s/he is a Ghanaian before a Ghana Card is issued.
Mr President, you got this wrong. If one is Ghanaian, it should not be difficult to produce your birth certificate. Sir, voters ID card didnt require a birth certificate and as such foreigners are in possession of many. Sorry, we cant use Voters ID. Period.