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Tag: NIA

  • Ghana mustn’t drift into xenophobia because of Aisha Huang – NIA

    Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Professor Kenneth Attafuah, has warned Ghanaians not to develop hatred for foreign nationals, particularly Chinese, following reports of their involvement in illegal mining.

    According to him, engaging in xenophobia and hurting innocent lives in the process will be hypocritical on the part of Ghanaians as compatriots in other countries, especially South Africa, have been victims of such prejudice.

    Addressing the press last Friday on the non-citizen Ghana Card issued to Aisha Huang, a galamsey kingpin, he said “Jingoism is dangerous. Excessive nationalism but one that also targets others, that is xenophobia.”

    “We have to be careful not to drift into xenophobia because Chinese numbers are large in our country or a woman called Aisha Huang is said to be dangerous or any of the considerations that dominate public discourse about Chinese, Nigerians,” he added.

    It recently emerged that Aisha Huang, who is currently in police custody for allegedly engaging in illegal mining and the sale and purchase of minerals, had been issued a Ghana Card but on a false pretence. She used the name Huang En instead of Aisha Huang.

    In a statement, the NIA explained that on February 26, 2014, a Chinese woman named HUANG EN registered as a first-time applicant for a foreigner identity card at the Foreigner Identification Management System (FIMS) registration centre at Nhyiaeso, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.

    Her biometrics were captured and she was issued a non-citizen Ghana Card.

    She subsequently did two more renewals on 31st August 2016 and 8th January 2018, using the same details and Chinese passport number G39575625- Forename:

    En, Surname: Huang, Date of Birth: 07-Jul-86, Personal ID Number: CHN-010039480-J, Passport Number: G39575625.

    The statement continued that “On August 25, 2022, at 10:35 am, an incident occurred at the FIMS Registration Centre in Tamale, Northern Region, involving a Chinese national who visited the centre as a first-time applicant with the following details: Forename: RUIXIA, Surname: HUANG, Date of Birth: 07-Nov-75, Passport Number: EJ5891162.”

    The registration, however, went into a technical state known as ‘RejectedDueAFIS’, which meant that the biometrics of RUIXIA HUANG possibly matched that of an already existing person in the NIS database.

    The registration officer, therefore, sent a request to the technical support team for further investigations.

    This revealed that, based on the biometrics provided, “RUIXIA HUANG” had previously registered as EN HUANG in the FIMS record under the NIS database.

    Per the NIA, when confronted by the registration officer with this information, she claimed to have changed her name.

    This information and the fact that the Chinese are the foreign nationals with the highest number of non-citizen Ghana Cards have caused citizens to worry.

    Professor Kenneth Agyemang revealed that 34,712 non-citizen Ghana Cards have been issued to Chinese nationals.

    According to him, the NIA is unable to determine the ulterior motives held by such foreign nationals because they are not under any law or obligation to provide the Authority as to why they are in Ghana.

    “Do Chinese tell why they are in Ghana? They are not required by the laws of NIA. Nobody is required, whether they are Chinese or British. We have to be careful not to be selective about this,” he said.

    He, however, added that “It is the profession that is required to be stated with respect to NIA.”

    “We have to hasten slowly,” he reiterated, on the need to avoid any form of xenophobia.

    South Africa has a history of xenophobia against Africans.

    Foreign Africans have been blamed for economic insecurity, crimes, and government failures and have therefore been targets of nationwide protests and shutdowns characterised by mob violence, looting, and torching of their businesses.

    Attacks on foreign Africans, including Ghanaians, in the country resurfaced at the beginning of September this year.

    In view of this, the Ghanaian High Commission in South Africa has entreated Ghanaian compatriots “be vigilant to any such incidents, restrict their movements to safe areas, avoid mass gatherings and refrain from engaging in activities that could result in conflict, brawls or deterioration in their safety.”

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • It’s impossible to register every Ghanaian before SIM card registration deadline – NIA

    With less than two weeks until the end of the SIM card re-registration period, the National Identification Authority (NIA) has revealed that it will be unable to register all Ghanaians before the September 30, 2022, deadline.

    Addressing the media at a press conference on Friday, September 16, 2022, Executive Secretary of

    the NIA, Prof. Kenneth Agyeman Attafuah, explained that the authority has been saddled with financial and logistic difficulties in registering and issuing the Ghana card, which is the sole identification document for the SIM card registration.

    Prof. Attafuah mentioned that currently there “is only one office in a district and there are 4 people

    in that district office. At the 200 registration centres, you may have about 16 NIA officials serving the people.”

    “That is not how the physical and logistical system has been designed to respond. We cannot do that. There is no way that the NIA can register those people. It is technically, physically impossible. We had said way back in March that it was impossible. I have said it is like expecting a maiden to make a baby every three months,” he added during a press conference on Friday.”

    The aforementioned challenges bedevilling NIA, according to Prof Attafuah were communicated to the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ministry of Digitalisation and Communication before they announced the deadlines for the re-registration of SIM cards.

    Despite describing the September 30 deadline as unfortunate, he said “it is not for NIA to proffer advice on that as it falls outside its mandate. However, I can say on authority that we have engaged actively with the National Communications Authority, and with the Minister [of Communications and Digitalisation] since last year.”

    As of September 9, 2022, the NIA has issued 15,859,251 Ghana cards and is yet to print 528,360 cards as well as issue 763,877 cards, according to Director of Corporate Affairs, Dr Abudu Abdul Ganiyu.

    The NIA, however, says it is working hard to clear its backlog before the stated deadline.

    Nonetheless, the NCA has issued some punitive measures against mobile network subscribers who have failed to register their SIM cards.

    These subscribers on September 5, 2022, were prohibited from using specific services, such as data and all outgoing voice calls once a week.

    Some Ghanaians who are facing the brunt of NCA’s punitive actions have lamented that the stipulated time frame will not only affect subscribers but businesses as well.

    A Pressure Group, the People’s Project, have sued the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Attorney-General (A-G) over the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise.

    The group is asking the Supreme Court to declare the deadline for registration and the associated punitive measures for non-registration null and void, arguing of gold has in the long run destroyed Ghana’s water bodies and farmlands.

    Unwavering about the concerns of Ghanaians, the Minister for Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu- Ekuful has stated that SIM card registration will help minimize fraudulent activities.

    She iterated that defaulting subscribers who fail to meet the

    September 30 deadline will have their SIM card deactivated.

    However, individuals whose SIM cards will be blocked after the September 30 deadline will be given a six-month grace period to reclaim their SIM cards after registering.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Chinese nationals top list of immigrants with

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) reports that the majority of non-citizen national identity cards (Ghana cards) issued in Ghana are held by Chinese nationals.

    Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof. Kenneth Agyeman Attafuah, Executive Secretary, said this at a press conference in Accra on Friday, September 16, 2022, to commemorate this year’s International Identity Day.

    This comes in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the re-entry of Huang En, also known as Aisha Huang, a Chinese citizen with a non-citizen Ghana card, who was repatriated in 2018 for alleged illegal mining.

    According to the NIA, 34,712 non-citizen Ghana cards have been issued to Chinese nationals in Ghana. This figure represents 22% of Ghana’s 161,007 immigrants from 202 different countries.

    With a total of 25,873 cards, Nigerians were the second-largest group of foreigners with non- citizen Ghana cards, followed by Indian citizens (20,110).

    Per the figures provided by NIA, the cards issued to Germans constituted 4,329; Lebanon, 4,324; United Kingdom (UK), 4,133; South Africa, 3,194; 2,222; Cote D’Ivoire, 2,150 and Gabon, 1,958 cards.

    Prof Attafuah stated that as of September 15, 2022, a total of 17,163,081 people had been enrolled onto the NIA system, with 16,627,326 cards printed and 15,869,026 cards issued.

    The Executive Secretary stated that the Authority had implemented a robust system to verify all cards of Ghanaians for the purpose of transacting business with banks, as well as non-citizens who would use the card to apply for or renew their residence permit, open or run a bank account in the country.

    Prof Attafuah asked African countries to step up efforts to ensure that the citizenry had legal identity to foster social, economic, and political inclusion. Prof. Attafuah urged African countries to step up efforts to ensure that citizens have legal identities in order to foster social, economic, and political inclusion.

    He stated that the country would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the Ghana card became “the single source of proof,” noting that the Authority had implemented a verification system that required

    banks to authenticate individuals who used the card for various transactions since January 2021.

    “With this verification system, if you go to the bank with or without your Ghana card, with your fingerprint, the bank is able to verify your identity as part of KYC (Know Your Customer) and give you a service,” Prof Attafuah noted.

    The Executive Secretary hinted that the NIA would begin registering Ghanaians abroad in November 2022 and begin registering children in the country between the ages of

    four and 15 in December 2022.

    Meanwhile, Prof Attafuah stated that registration for the refugee identification card will begin next week.

    He said continuous registration would also be carried out in all 16 designated regional and all 275 district offices of NIA.

    He also promised that all 275 NIA district offices and all 16 NIA regional offices would participate in the continuous registration process.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Aisha Huang: NIA provides clarification on ‘trending’ Ghana Card

    After the arrest of Chinese galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang, on Monday, September 5, 2022, it emerged that she is a Ghana Card holder, having acquired the ID from the National Identification Authority in February 2022.

    Aisha Huang had evaded immigration authorities and re-entered Ghana to conduct illegal business despite her controversial deportation in 2018.

    Media reports suggested that Ms Huang despite last leaving by air, returned to Ghana via the eastern land border i.e. Togo.

    Whilst the report is silent on when she first reentered and how many times she has been in and out of the jurisdiction, it turned out that she also used a different name on her return.

    It has been established with evidence that upon her return, Huang applied for and obtained the Ghana Card with the identity of “Huang En.”

    But NIA has denied registering any applicant by the name of Aisha Huang. According to the NIA, its National Identity Register (NIR) does not contain any record of a person named AISHA HUANG.

    “Put differently, the name AISHA HUANG does not exist in the National Identification System (NIS) database”, the NIA said in a statement dated September 6, 2022.

    Explaining the viral Ghana Card suggesting that the galamsey kingpin has been given the Ghana card, the authority said that the particular registration was done in 2014 with the name Huang En and was renewed in 2016 and 2018 in Kumasi.

    It said a Chinese national tried to register a new non-resident Ghana Card in August 2022 with the name Ruixia Huang, but its system flagged it because the biometric details matched that of Huang En.

    Since she could not provide proper details to authenticate her new identity, NIA in the statement said:

    “Huang En opted to renew with the old details and then go through the affidavit and gazette process later, after which she would then provide the documents for the update to be done. Her renewed Non-Citizen Ghana Card was then issued to her on 25th August 2022, bearing the old name. This card is what is now impugned and trending on social media.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Aisha Huang: National Security handling issue because of sensitivity Immigration

    Director of public relations of the Ghana Immigration Service, GIS, Supt Amoako-Atta, has disclosed that the Aisha Huang case is currently being handled by National Security.

    He explained in an interview with Accra-based TV3 that the sensitivity of the matter was the reason why it had been taken over by National Security despite her interception by Immigration officers.

    Aisha Huang is a Chinese national who became notorious for her involvement in illegal small-scale mining, galamsey, and was deported in 2018 after the state discontinued a case against her.

    Asked what possible immigration charges Huang could face, he responded: “That is an illegal entry and currently as we speak, National Security is handling the issue because of how sensitive it is, and she was taken to court and a remand taken against her.

    The GIS spokesman also denied that Huang had been in the country for more than three months as reported by some media outlets. “The information I have from our officers is not the three months that you are talking about.

    “By mid-August and second September, she was intercepted by our officers… when it comes to the borders, we have not hidden the fact that our borders are porous especially in the subregion, and it is not peculiar to the West Africa subregion alone but across the world,” he added.

    Aisha Huang arrested

    On Monday, September 5, 2022, the Accra Circuit Court 9 presided by Samuel Bright Acquah, remanded Aisha Huang, into custody.

    This was after Miss Huang, together with three other Chinese nationals, were brought before the court on charges including engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a licence and mining without a licence.

    The court could not take into record the pleas of the four suspects because there was no interpreter to help translate proceedings for the Chinese nationals.

    The accused persons were not represented by a lawyer. The court adjourned sitting on the case to Wednesday, September 14, 2022.

    How she re-entered the country without detection till her recent arrest has been the major question on the minds of many Ghanaians.

    She had reportedly re-entered the jurisdiction through the eastern border with the name, Huang Fe.

    Aisha Huang arrested in deported from Ghana in 2018

    Ms. Huang, who was described as “untouchable” on some media platforms, was in 2017 charged with undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).

    She was also charged with providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to Section 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act; and also charged with illegal employment of foreign nationals (in breach of section 24 of the Immigration Act and regulation 18 of the Immigration Regulations).

    Her deportation meant the state discontinued the trial against her.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Equip NIA to take registration centres to doorstep of Ghanaians Ken Ashigbey

    The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey has asked government to equip the National Identification Authority (NIA) with the needed resources to create more registration centers to enable Ghanaians have easy access to register their Ghana cards.

    Dr Ashibey noted that the Ghana card which is the sole identification documents for the re-registration of the SIM card is the major challenge hindering the exercise.

    He believes that the September 30, 2022 deadline for SIM re-registration will be enough as long as government “takes some serious steps.”

    Speaking on the Point of View on CitiTV, Mr. Ashigbey said “the total number of Ghanaians who are yet to receive their Ghana cards is about 2.97 million, and then we have some 808,000 who had not received their cards as at the last time I collected data. That brings us to about 3.781 million Ghanaians yet to receive their cards. If we divide that by 61 days and then by 275 district offices plus the 16 Regional offices, the NIA should be doing 165 registrations daily.”

    “This is not impossible to do,” he added.

    He thus recommended that government supports the NIA to take the registration to the doorstep of Ghanaians.

    “Just as politicians take voter registrations to the doorstep of Ghanaians at the polling centres, I will recommend that government provides NIA with extra resources such that they are able to deploy as close as possible to the citizens.”

    He also urged government to collaborate with the NIA to ensure that persons living with disabilities are registered.

    The government set July 31 as the deadline for all persons to re-register their SIM cards with their Ghana Cards.

    People who fail to comply with the directive will have their SIM cards deactivated.

    The regulations are to help law enforcement agencies to identify SIM card owners, track criminals who use phones for illegal activities, curb phone theft, hate text messaging, mobile fraud activities and SIM Box fraud.

    They are to also help identify subscribers for the use of value-added services such as mobile banking, mobile money and electronic payment services.

    However, not all Ghaianains have been able to secure their Ghana Card.

    The National Identification Authority has indicated that 15,702,719 cards have been issued while 808,493 cards have been printed but not issued.

    Government thus extended the deadline for the re-registration to September 30, 2022.

    It has also created a self-service registration application to ease the registration process.

  • California wildfire: McKinney Fire spreads rapidly in north of state

    A wildfire in California has exploded in size to become the largest blaze in the state so far this year.

    The McKinney Fire, which started in the northern Siskiyou county on Friday, has already burnt 21,000 hectares (52,500 acres), the state’s fire service said.

    At least 2,000 residents as well as trekkers on the Pacific Crest hiking trail have left the area. An unknown number of homes have been destroyed.

    It was still 0% contained on Monday morning, the fire service reported.

    McKinney Fire is burning in the Klamath National Forest, near the border with Oregon. Some 650 firefighters are battling the flames in punishing heat, the Los Angeles Times reports.

    A red flag warning indicating the threat of dangerous fire conditions is in place, as California suffers from persistent drought conditions.

    A state of emergency was declared in Siskiyou county on Saturday, after homes were destroyed and infrastructure was threatened, state governor Gavin Newsom said.

    The fire was “intensified and spread by dry fuels, extreme drought conditions, high temperatures, winds and lightning storms”, he added.

    Several communities are being threatened, including Yreka and Fort Jones, the US Forest Service said.

    ‘I just saw it explode’

     

    Artist, Harlene Althea Schwander had only moved into her new home near the fire’s starting point a month ago, and had not yet unpacked everything. It’s now all gone, she told Reuters news agency.

    “Three generations of beautiful things, all of my paintings… they’re all gone, and I’m very sad,” she said.

    “When I saw it coming over from the community centre, and I just saw it explode in the dark. I knew the house was gone because I knew right where it was. And the fire department came and told me, ‘just leave now,’” she said.

    There was one piece of good news however – Ms Schwander’s daughter-in-law had grabbed her jewellery before they fled.

    Dawn Butterfield and Robert Butterfield from Yreka, who have evacuated the area amidst the fast-moving McKinney Fire, stand near some car outside an evacuation shelter in Weed, CaliforniaReuters

    Yreka residents Dawn and Robert Butterfield were evacuated to a shelter in the nearby town of Weed

    Jonathan Dixon, who lives in Yreka, a small town with a population of 7,590, told the Los Angeles Times that he fears his house – and collection of art nouveau antiques, artwork and sculptures – will be gone when he returns.

    “I’m terrified that my house is going to burn down, and I’ve kind of accepted it,” Mr Dixon, 37, told the paper.

    Another Yreka local, Jan Williamson, 66, told the paper she and her husband had to flee with their 40-year-old daughter, Leanne, who is a quadriplegic and has cerebral palsy.

    They had to leave behind vital equipment that helps with Leanne’s care and comfort. Leanne is also autistic, and bites herself when her routine is disrupted, or she becomes frustrated.

    “Whenever it’s especially bad like this, we just have to take one or two minutes at a time, and just manage to get through each day,” Ms Williamson said.

    Authorities warn that possible thunderstorms could result in more fires developing in the coming days.

    “The fuel beds are so dry and they can just erupt from that lightning,” US Forest Service spokesperson Adrienne Freeman told reporters, adding that the “gusty erratic winds” that come with thunder cells can “blow fire in every direction.

    The fire is the second major blaze to hit the state in recent days. The Oak Fire, near Yosemite National Park, is still roaring after eight days but has been 67% contained, the fire department Cal Fire said.

    California still has months of its fire season ahead.

    Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires.

    The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

    Source: BBC

  • Over 15.7 million Ghana cards issued so far NIA boss

    More than 15.7 million eligible citizens have received their Ghana Cards since the registration exercise started in 2019, the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, has disclosed.

    Prof. Agyemang Attafuah, giving a breakdown of the total number of registered cards, stated that 16,969,034 persons have registered for the Ghana Card, with about 16,535,623 cards printed.

    He further indicated that out of the 16,969,034 printed cards, 808,493 Ghanaians have not been issued with their Ghana Cards.

    The NIA boss stated that the non-issuance of the Ghana Card is not a deliberate attempt to frustrate the Ghanaian people.

    Prof. Attafuah ascribed double-registration, change of vital data as the cause of non-issued Ghana Cards.

    He disclosed that, “there are people who have double-registered. That is potentially a criminal offence. Those ones are being individually investigated. There are those whose cards have gone into adjudication, not because of double registration but because they have sought to change their vital data in the custody of the authority, such as bio-data. For such people, the system arrests their application, and it joins a queue.”

    The NIA boss touted that until the outstanding issues are rectified, some Ghanaians can not receive their cards.

    Meanwhile, the Ghana Card is the sole identification document being used for the SIM card re-registration exercise nationwide. The exercise which commenced on October 1, 2021, is expected to end July 31, 2022.

    Earlier, the Government extended the deadline for the registration of SIM from March, 31st 2022 to 31st July 2022 due to the low number of SIM card registration recorded.

    Government has insisted on not extending the deadline, therefore, citizens who fail to comply with the directive before the deadline will have their SIM cards deactivated.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • About 35% of printed Ghana Cards not collected at Tema West NIA

    A total of 4,648 National Identification Cards, representing 35.58 percent of cards printed are yet to be collected by the applicants at the Tema West Municipal of the National Identification Authority (NIA).

    Ms. Constance Pokua Osei, Tema West NIA Director disclosed this at the General Assembly of the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA) and out of a total of 13,442 cards printed for the area, 8,749 had been issued with 4,648 representing 35.58 percent yet to be collected

    Ms. Osei added that the total enrolment between November 2021 and May 27, 2022, was 3,931.

    She said when the deadline for the registration of all sim cards with the Ghana Card was extended to July, residents stopped going for their printed cards, adding that in a day only about 20 people go for their cards while an average 15 people go for the registration.

    She added that it had also led to low enrolment as the long queues that used to be seen at the office had vanished with staff virtually hoping that it would improve daily.

    “Now there is no queue, people just walk in and have their data captured in no time, sometimes in mornings we even have less than 10 people available to collect their cards.

    “We still have over 4,000 cards lying there to be issued, and they are just not coming. I understand them, it is frustrating after visiting the office many times and the cards were not ready,” she stated.

    She, therefore, pleaded with Assembly Members to inform their residents that the cards were ready.

    On other challenges, Ms. Osei said bigger office accommodation and staffing was a problem, as currently the premises they were operating from was small.

    She said there were only four members of staff, which she said were not enough, and therefore, appealed for some National Service Personnel to be attached to the office.

    Meanwhile, Assembly Members of Tema West have expressed misgivings about the conduct of some officers of the NIA in the municipality, saying their customer relations were poor.

    Mr. Kwesi Poku Bosompem, Assemblyman for Sakumono Electoral Area, and Tema West New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman described the conduct of the workers at the NIA office as rude.

    Mr. Bosompem, who is a former Presiding Member of the Assembly said staff and contract workers of the office needed to be re-oriented and given customer service skills to relate better with the public.

    Mr. Henry Ubor, Assemblyman for Klagon said he has been to the NIA office many times to monitor the queue for residents of Klagon to go and register and could say that their services were poor.

    Mr. Ubor said: “If the NIA Tema West Director was reporting to them that people were not going for their cards, it was not true as most people were turned away. It is not like the people are not going for the cards, they have rejected the cards to them because anytime they go and queue, they are turned away.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • NIA takes delivery of first batch of Kantanka cars

    The National Identification Authority on Monday, December 2021 took delivery of 18 Oman Ma pickup vehicles from the Kantanka Automobile Company.

    The presentation of the 18 vehicles the first batch 85 cars being manufactured by the Ghanaian automobile firm for the NIA.

    At a brief handing over ceremony, the Corporate Affairs Director of Kantanka automobile espoused that the vehicles are exclusively produced for the Ghanaian condition.

    He applauded the NIA for believing in the Kantanka brand and assured of timely delivery of the remaining cars.

    He leveraged the opportunity to appeal to public and patriotic institutions to patronize Kantanka cars since its cost-effective.

    “We commend the institution for believing in a Ghanaian product. This is the first batch and this is really made for Ghanaian terrain. This is made in Ghana and we believe in it.

    “At Kantanka, we believe in experiencing Africa and we are urging every government institution and individual to patronize the Kantanka products.”

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • NIA begins operations in all 16 regions today

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has said its 16 Regional and 275 District offices across the country will be operational, effective today, Wednesday, 3 November 2021.

    A statement issued by the NIA signed by its Acting Head of Corporate Affairs, Abudu Abdul-Ganiyu, outlined a plan to operationalise its offices.

    According to the Authority, Wednesday, 3 to Friday, 5 November 2021 will be for “setting up, conducting public sensitisation and engaging with community leaders on the impending operations of the Regional and District offices.”

    It will, however, begin “Issuing Ghana Cards to Ghanaians who registered during the mass registration but could not receive their cards” from Monday, 8 to Tuesday, 16 November 2021, excluding weekends.

    The NIA will continue with the “issuance of Ghana Cards to applicants” and “registering and issuing Ghana Cards to Ghanaians aged 15 years and above” from Wednesday, 17 November 2021 onwards.

    The “Replacement of lost, stolen, and damaged Ghana Cards” and “updating of personal information of applicants in the National Identity Register (NIR)” will also take place from Monday, 29 November 2021 onwards.

    It indicated that the timeline for “the registration of Ghanaians under 15 years” will be communicated later.

    Both Regional and District offices of the NIA will operate from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays, while the Premium Registration Centre at its Head Office will open for business on Wednesday, 3rd November 2021.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Ghana Card almost ready for 2024 voting exercise NIA

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has said plans are underway to integrate the Voter Identification Card into the Ghana Card to enable bearers of the latter vote with it in 2024 General Elections.

    Speaking to Kofi Adoma Nwanwani on the Anopa Bↄfoↄ morning show on Tuesday, October 13, 2021, spokesperson for the Authority, Abdul Ganiwu disclosed that the only restraining problem in getting holders of Ghana Card to vote is the polling station number.

    “Between now and 2024 is a long period to engage the Electoral Commission (EC) so that they can generate that information [polling station numbers] for Ghana Card users. So, when you are 18 years and above, you can tell the EC where you want to vote and it will be done,” he said.

    The NIA estimates that 85% of Ghanaians aged 15 years and above have been registered for the NIA card.

    Mr. Ganiwu noted that the system is designed to automatically detect and update information of persons who are below the voting age to enable them exercise their rights.

    The Ghana Card is expected to replace all identity cards in use for accessing services across the country.

    Currently, it has been integrated into the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) system to help bearers transact business under the scheme.

    Telecommunication companies have also been directed to register all sim card users with it, without which their numbers would be blocked.

    Source: angelonline.com.gh

  • Ghana Card to be used for foreign travels soon – NIA boss

    Executive secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Professor Kenneth Attafuah, has described the Ghana Card as a powerful tool that could be used for any desired thing including travels in the country and beyond.

    Professor Attafuah disclosed that Ghanaians will soon use the Ghana Card as their passports for West African and foreign travels.

    He noted that the Ghana Card already has an electronic passport on it which is valid for West African travels.

    He said discussions have been held with the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) concerning this new development.

    Professor Attafuah said, “We had a beautiful meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last Friday. We are talking about the modalities for getting two things done… One is the onboarding of the passport, data integration with the passport office and also even how you get to use the Ghana Card to travel. I indicated that the Ghana Card is a powerful tool, it already has an electronic passport on it, which is valid for travel within West Africa.”

    “The conversation we had with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NITA is to get the appropriate certification and International Standardisation Organisation Certification and the International Civil Aviation Organisation Certification (ICAO) so that the Ghana Card itself can be a valid passport for travel to Europe, the American countries.”

    Meanwhile, the National Identification Authority will register Ghanaians living abroad for the Ghana Card once this dream comes to fruition.

    He said this on Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday, July 12, 2021.

    This follows the successful merging of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) database with the National Identification Authority (NIA) on June 28, 2021.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • NIA officer wasnt killed at our meeting National Peace Council

    The Northern Regional office of the National Peace Council has denied reports that the National Identification Authority (NIA) staff, who was killed in Sanguli in the Saboba district in the Northern Region was in a National Peace Council meeting before he met his untimely death.

    Two weeks ago there were reports that some gunmen had allegedly attacked a National Peace Council delegation at a district in the Northern Region leaving several others injured.

    According to the spokesperson of the National Peace Council, Rev. Father Thaddeus, the meeting was not organised by the National Peace Council. He thus called on citizens to disregard such misleading information.

    “The fact is that the Northern Regional office of the National Peace Council in collaboration with the District Assemblies of Saboba and Chereponi set up two peace committees in the two districts to support the work of the District Security Councils with regard to the recurring conflicts in the two districts.”

    “Other partner organisations invite committee members to assist in the implementation of district-level activities and as a result, Saboba Peace Committee Chairman was invited to chair an implementation committee office which he went there, not as the peace committee chairman but the chairman of the implementation committee. So that activity cannot be said to be Peace Council activity. It is therefore misleading to associate the activity with the Peace Council.”

    Source: citinewsroom

  • NIA begins mop-up exercise in Ashanti

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has begun a mob-up exercise in the Ashanti Region to enable qualified Ghanaians who were not able to register to do so to get their Ghana card.

    The exercise which started in the Region on August 02, would end on August 16, this year.

    Those who registered but were not able to receive their cards would also get the opportunity to collect their cards at the registration centres.

    A visit by the Ghana News Agency to some of the registration centres in Kumasi indicated that a lot of people in the metropolis had still not registered and had formed long queues to register.

    Mr. Kwadwo Adom, a supervisor at the Kronom registration centre, told the Ghana News Agency that the exercise had been going on smoothly and peacefully as was expected.

    He said NIA had put in place stringent measures to ensure that all the COVID-19 protocols were observed in all the registration centres.

    Mr Adom said citizens who were not able to register during the main exercise were now trooping into the centres to go through the process to receive their cards.

    He said all the materials and other equipment needed for the registration exercise were in place and things were going on smoothly.

    Mr Adom appealed to all those who were yet to register to take advantage of the opportunity to register to get their Ghana cards.

     

    Source: GNA

  • Ghana card: Scuffle at Jomoro as NIA officials transfer kits from Elubo

    There was scuffle on Tuesday morning, at Elubo in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region as officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) attempted to move their registration equipment from the area.

    The residents, led by the Assemblymember of the area got into heated arguments which degenerated into a scuffle with officials of the NIA after the latter tried to transfer their kits.

    The NIA is embarking on a mop-up registration exercise to register people who couldn’t register during the main exercise and the Authority assured the residents of Elubo to finish its work in the area on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

    But before the communicated date, residents of Elubo got wind that the NIA officials would be removing their machines from Elubo to Bawia and Ellenda in the Jomoro Municipality on Monday evening, July 13, 2020.

    Upon the hint, some residents vowed to stop the NIA to relocate their machines to different places.

    On Tuesday morning, over 200 residents formed long queues early in the morning to register but the officials of NIA ignored them and started packing their machines in a pick-up vehicle.

    This resulted in a scuffle between the residents and the NIA officials.

    During the scuffle, the Assembly Member of Elubo West Electoral Area, Matthew Nana Frendo removed two machines from the pick-up vehicle to stop the officials from leaving the community.

    But the police were quick to storm the scene and provided security for the NIA officials to remove all their machines from the community to Bawia and Ellenda.

    The aggrieved residents lamented that the extension of the exercise at Elubo was to last for 21 days and hence did not understand the reason it had come to an abrupt end.

    All efforts to speak to NIA proved futile as at the time of filing this report.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • NIA rejects Mahama assertions on Ghana card

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has rejected claims by ex-President John Dramani Mahama that the authority has not fully rolled out the Ghana card, describing them as unfounded.

    Mr. Mahama, the flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), last Thursday stated emphatically, among other things, that the NIA was yet to fully roll out mass registration and that cards were still being issued with no mechanism for verification.

    He made the assertions while responding to the verdict of the Supreme Court on the compilation of a new register of voters.

    However, the NIA said the former President got his facts wrong by making “inaccurate statements”, according to a statement signed by the NIA Head of Corporate Affairs, ACI Francis Palmdeti.

    The statement said the NIA fully rolled out the mass registration exercise on April 29, 2019 to issue biometric ID cards and was left with just a week to complete the exercise before Covid-19 broke out.

    “NIA would have completed the registration exercise in the Eastern Region by 27th March 2020 after having conducted the exercise in 15 other regions. The mop-up exercise currently underway is to further provide opportunity for those who could not register to do so,” the statement said.

    The statement added that as of June 23, 2020, NIA had registered a total of 11,385,494 eligible Ghanaians, printed 11,172,261 cards and issued 10,854,829 cards to qualified Ghanaians.

    It said the target was to register 80 per cent of the population aged 15 and above and that a total number of Ghanaians aged 18 and above have been issued 10,576,120 Ghana cards.

    “By the end of the mop-up registration exercise, it is expected that 16.7 million eligible Ghanaians would have been captured on the National Identity Register and issued the Ghana card,” the statement explained.

    On the issue of cards issuance without mechanism for verification, the NIA insisted that the claim was false and added that the majority of Ghana cards (7,163,935) had been issued through the online verification mechanism.

    “There is an inbuilt mechanism for the verification of the 3,690,894 cards currently being issued using the Card Issuance Album. The use of manual verification is not a novel practice. There are various methods of verification. One can use the ocular inspection method, the match-on-card method or the one-to-many method which is online. The National Identity System is designed to utilize any or all of these methods.

    “Applicants who visit the card issuance centres are identified and issued their Ghana cards by NIA officials using the ocular verification method i.e. crosschecking of their photographs, name, date of birth, telephone number and other details as captured in the album against the registration slips they submit or their verbal claim,” according to NIA in the statement.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • Ghana card issuance extended to Tuesday, June 23

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the extension of the Ghana card issuance exercise across the country.

    It was first scheduled to end on Thursday, 18 June 2020 but has been extended to Tuesday, 23 June 2020.

    In a statement issued by the Authority on Friday, 19 June 2020 and signed by its Head of Corporate Affairs, Francis Palmdeti, the NIA stated: “The card issuance exercise in the Eastern, Upper East and Upper West Regions will continue at registration centres during the mop-up exercise.”

    The Authority added: “Applicants who are yet to collect their Ghana cards are entreated to do so during this extended period.”

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) had earlier said it will resume its registration in the Eastern Region from 18 27 June 2020.

    At the same time, its card distribution exercise started on Wednesday, 10 June 2020 at 5,635 registration centres across the country.

    “The exercise will enable approximately 3,934,073 Ghanaians who could not receive their cards during the mass registration exercise to do so”, the NIA said in a statement.

    “The cards are being issued to Ghanaians at the same centres where they registered during the mass registration exercise.

    “Nearly 800,000 Ghanaians have received the Ghana card since the exercise began last Wednesday, 10 June 2020,” it noted.

    The NIA said: “All persons who registered but have not received their Ghana cards are requested to go to the registration centre where they registered to pick up their card”.

    “To receive the card, a Ghanaian must present the registration application form, the printout or receipt given at the time of registration, or provide other relevant information to be cross-checked against his/her photograph and personal details contained in a registration centre album.”

    By the end of the exercise, the NIA said more than eleven million Ghanaians will possess the Ghana card.

    “Out of that number, a total of 10,295,578 Ghanaians will be aged 18 years and over,” the statement added.

    Source: Class FM

  • 32,756 cases of multiple NIA registration detected

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has detected 32,756 suspected cases of multiple registration in the ongoing registration exercise in violation of a law that requires each eligible citizen to be issued with a card.

    The Executive Secretary of the NIA, Professor Kenneth A. Attafuah, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Accra yesterday, said the authority would begin investigations into the matter and those found culpable would be prosecuted.

    “The NIA has a board which comprises heads of key state institutions and security agencies such as the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Births and Deaths Registry, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Ghana Statistical Service and three other members.

    “The board will look at these double registrants on a case by case basis and when it is estimated that there are fraudulent motives behind their action, prosecutions will be done,” he added.

    The event was organised to provide updates on the activities of the NIA over the past one year and the way forward as the authority resumes the registration exercise in the Eastern Region today.

    A mopping-up registration exercise also begins today.

    Highlights

    Providing highlights on the activities of the NIA, Prof. Attafuah said the authority had registered 11,063,259 eligible Ghanaians as of the time the exercise was discontinued in the Eastern Region.

    He added that the authority had so far printed 11,034,174 cards since the exercise began last year and issued 9,050,346 to qualified citizens.

    The ongoing NIA card issuance which started on June 10, 2020, is expected to end today. And so far, the authority has distributed 1,950,245 cards out of the 3,934,073 cards available for collection.

    Prof. Attafuah said there were also 350 cases of eligibility of some persons suspected to be foreigners that were being challenged across the country.

    He said with the registration exercise nearing completion, the NIA would set up District Review Committees (DRCs) to look into specific cases and make appropriate recommendations.

    “In addition, the NIA has withheld the Ghana cards of some applicants because the personal identification numbers (PIN) indicate that they had previously been registered in the national identity register as foreigners, but attempted to register for the Ghana card as Ghanaians without showing evidence of acquiring a Ghanaian citizenship.

    “People in this category will be required to provide evidence to establish that they have subsequently acquired Ghanaian citizenship,” the executive secretary said.

    He further denied claims that the authority was deliberately printing multiple cards to people, saying “there are 525 incidences where multiple cards have been printed with the same PIN. This was caused by a system update which has been resolved. Only one card can be active against a set of biometrics such as face, fingers and iris”.

    On the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) protocols, Prof. Attafuah urged people to wear nose masks when going to register: “We are saying that no mask, no registration,” he emphasised.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Know when Ghana Card mop-up registration exercise will start in your region

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) is set to embark on a mop-up mass registration exercise in the various regions across the country with the exception of the Eastern Region.

    This is because the Eastern Region will continue with its Ghana Card registration from June 18 to June 27 after the exercise got suspended on March 21 following an interlocutory injunction by the High Court.

    In a press release signed by the Head of Corporate Affairs, ACI Francis Palmdeti said the NIA is expected to register about 16.7 million Ghanaians by the end of the mop-up registration exercise.

    “It is expected that a total of 16.7 million Ghanaians would have been registered and issued with Ghana cards when the mop-up exercise is completed,” he said.

    Below is the registration schedule for the mop-up exercise

    1. Upper East  18/06/2020 to 3/07/2020

    2. Upper West  18/06/2020 to 3/07/2020

    3. Northern  10/07/2020 to 24/07/2020

    4. North East  10/07/2020 to 24/07/2020

    5. Savannah  10/07/2020 to 24/07/2020

    6. Central  4/07/2020 to 23/07/2020

    7. Western  4/07/2020 to 23/07/2020

    8. Western North  4/07/2020 to 23/07/2020

    9. Volta  30/07/2020 to 9/08/2020

    10. Oti  30/07/2020 to 9/08/2020

    11. Ashanti  30/07/2020 to 13/08/2020

    12. Greater Accra  16/08/2020 to 29/08/2020

    13. Bono  20/08/2020 to 4/09/2020

    14. Bono East  20/08/2020 to 4/09/2020

    15. Ahafo  20/08/2020 to 4/09/2020

    Source: abcnewsgh.com

  • Ghana Card distribution: NIA changes date

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has moved its date for the distribution of close to four million Ghana cards across the country to tomorrow, Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

    A press announcement had earlier put the date for the commencement of the distribution yesterday.

    The change in date according to the NIA was informed by the need to provide personal protection equipment (PPE) to its field staff, who would be involved in the distribution.

    To be issued are 3,875,441 Ghana cards, an exercise that will be undertaken over a week. By the end of the exercise, 11,062,850 Ghanaians will be in possession of the Ghana card.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • NIA official arrested for registering people at night

    A Registration Supervising Officer of the National Identification Authority(NIA) has been arrested by the Suhum Police for illegally registering applicants Thursday night.

    The suspect, Richard Kudjo Pinto,37, was arrested at the Adarkwa Station area around 8:30 pm.

    The suspect who is a teacher by Profession and the Supervising Registration Officer at Kuano Church of Pentecost registration centre in the Coaltar District was arrested with documents of the National Identification Authority.

    According to the Police, 27 pieces of National Identity Card Application forms with one bearing the name and particulars of Otubea Rebecca, 12 pieces of Oath of Identity Form with 4 pieces bearing the names of Opoku Mabel, Martey Ebenezer, Lomotey Christiana Tetteh and Korkor Comfort and an Instructions Manual for registration and card issuance were retrieved.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, who confirmed the incident said, the suspect upon interrogation claimed that the applicants he was registering could not register when they turned up at the registration centre earlier during the day and so he decided to document their particulars to facilitate their registration the next day.

    He said the suspect has been detained while efforts are underway to arrest other accomplices whose names have been mentioned.

    The ongoing mass registration exercise by the NIA despite the Presidential directives in the wake of coronavirus has come under strong criticisms by some Ghanaians and Associations. The Ghana Medical Association, Commission on Rights and Administrative Justice have all urged the NIA to suspend the exercise.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Fulanis appeal to Akufo-Addo after NIA staff refuse to register them

    A Fulani Community in Ghana, Tabital Pulaaku International Ghana Chapter wants the President Nana Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency address what they refer to them as unfair treatment meted out to their Fulani brothers in the country.

    According to the group, eligible Ghanaian Fulanis are being prevented from registering for the Ghana Card by some officials of the National Identification Authority.

    The General Secretary of the Tabital Pulaaku International Ghana Chapter, Yakubu Musah Barry who addressed the press said they are denied the opportunity to register for the Ghana Card and other national documents such as the birth certificate, passports among others.

    “It is the aim of this press conference to get the attention of His Excellency, the President to tackle the conduct of some officials of the National Identification Authority against our Fulani brothers who happen to be citizens of this country, Ghana. Since the registration of this Ghana card begun, Ghanaian Fulanis are being denied even though they qualify to write their name for the card. They are not allowed to have an opportunity to be registered by officials of the authority on the basis that, they are not Ghanaians. On countless occasions when Fulanis show up for the registration of the card, they are denied.

    These victims are not given the opportunity to initiate the processes to challenge or defend them neither are they are allowed to present their required documents to that effect. Many other Fulani people or Fulani citizens find it difficult to obtain national documents like the birth certificate, passport, among others because they are easily identified as Fulanis so, therefore, they are considered as not Ghanaians. So we, therefore, call on the President to come to our aid against this unfair treatment meted out to our people,” he said.

    Background

    The Fulani Community in Ghana earlier expressed worry over alleged discrimination against Fulanis in the ongoing National Identification Card registration early in January 2020.

    Yakubu Musa, the General Secretary of the Fulani Community had received complaints across the country from Fulanis who were denied an opportunity to register in the ongoing National Identification Card registration.

    Yakubu Musa Bari made the comment at the installation of Ibrahim Mohammed as the new Wenchi Fulani Community Chief in the Wenchi Municipality of the Bono Region.

    Yakubu Musa Bari noted that before Ghana became independent, the Fulanis voted and have participated in every election.

    “The NIA always singles out Fulanis that they are not Ghanaians and they are not supposed to register. Citizenship is by law. You just see my face and tell me I am not a Ghanaian? No. If the Chinese can be a Ghanaian, a Lebanese can be Ghanaian, a Nigerian can be a Ghanaian why not the Fulani who toiled and defended this country before it became independent?” he asked.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Residents of Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis angry at NIA

    Some residents at Ntankorful and Kansasorodo in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis of the Western Region have expressed anger at the turn of events over the Ghana Card Registration.

    According to the aggrieved residents, officials from the National Identification Authority (NIA) embarked upon the exercise three weeks ago to capture their demographic data and their photographs and were told to come the following week for their Ghana Cards.

    However, they never heard anything from the NIA officials until yesterday, Tuesday, February 25, 2020 when a notice was served that their Ghana cards were ready for collection.

    According to the NIA officials, the sharing of the Ghana Cards would close at 5pm yesterday for residents in the communities and extend the exercise to teachers and students of the Methodist Senior High School at Kansasorodo which was originally chosen as a center for the registration.

    As a result, most of the residents who went to the Ntankorful Roman Catholic Church center could not get their Ghana Cards including some teachers and students who were registered the same period.

    Out of anger and frustration of joining a longer queue, most of them who spoke to this reporter, Daniel Kaku were no longer interested in the Ghana cards due the posture of the NIA officials who could not explain further why their Cards we’re not given to them and where they could get their cards.

    According to the residents I spoke to if the Ghana Card is to be used to vote in future elections, majority of the electorates will be disenfranchised.

    They, however, appealed to the NIA boss to intervene to ensure sanity in its operations with the Ghana Card.

    A teacher at the Methodist Senior High School who could not get his Ghana Card as most of his colleague teachers got theirs, was not happy and decided to abandon the idea of chasing their cards.

    Source: Daniel Kaku, Contributor

  • Four NIA officials arrested over malpractices in Ashanti Region

    Four officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) and another person have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service for engaging in a number of malpractices in the mass registration exercise in the Ashanti Region.

    A statement issued by the NIA said the arrests, which occurred between 3rd and 6th January 2020, were the result of a collaboration between the NIA and some aggrieved citizens in the Ashanti Region who provided to NIA relevant incriminating evidence on the conduct of the suspects and also identified them to the Police.

    The four officials include a certain Kenneth Sarfo Boateng Commissioner for Oaths (CFO), Church of Christ Registration Centre, Nyinampong, Asante-Mampong; Ransford Omane Osei Mobile Registration Workstation Operator (MRWO), Ampaabame Registration Centre near Ejisu; and De-graft Osei Mensah Supervising Registration Officer (SRO), Kentinkrono M/A Primary School Registration Centre at KNUST.

    NIA refutes allegation of negligence over death of 7 Ghana card registration officials

    The fourth NIA official was Emmanuel Edusei Poku a District Registration Supervisor (DRS) Kentinkrono M/A Primary School Registration Centre at KNUST while the fifth person who is a non-NIA official was identified as Kwabena Dan a resident of Nyinampong.

    The statement further revealed that the suspects have been granted Police enquiry bail and will be assisting the Police in investigations.

    Accordingly, the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof. Ken Attafuah has directed the immediate dismissal of the said officials.

    Meanwhile, the Management of NIA said it is satisfied, following administrative procedures, that the conduct of its aforesaid registration officials is in breach of the relevant provisions of the Public Service Code of Conduct.

    “Management has further determined the said conduct also constitutes an egregious violation of applicable internal rules and regulations governing the conduct of NIA registration officials.

    The success of the mass registration exercise will ultimately depend on the level of vigilance and co-operation NIA enjoys from the general public, especially in managing queues, reporting acts of criminality and irresponsibility, and providing evidence that will trigger an effective investigation and/or support effective prosecution,” the statement signed by Assistant Commissioner of Immigration Francis Palmdeti, Head, Corporate Affairs at the NIA said.

    BNI, National security personnel to arrest corrupt NIA officials in Ashanti region

    Registration update

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has so far registered 5.9 million (5,907,536) people as at the end of 2019 in the ongoing nationwide mass registration exercise.

    Of this number, the authority has printed 5.1 million (5,167,994) cards.

    Data from the NIA reveals that 3.3 million (3,323,839) of the printed cards have been issued to registrants while persons who did not receive their cards can pick them up at designated places.

    The exercise currently ongoing in the Ashanti Region has so far registered one million (1,015,259) people in the region at the end of 2019.

    In the Ashanti Region, 761,263 cards have been printed while 552,796 cards have been issued to registrants.

    Meanwhile, the NIA has extended the mass registration exercise throughout the Ashanti Region from January 10 to 16.

    The extension is intended to restore the two registration days lost in December last year (27 and 28) due to the Christmas holidays.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • NIA apologizes for Ghana card registration fiasco

    The National Identification Authority (NIA) has apologized for its failure to ensure a smooth first day Ghana card registration exercise in the Northern Region.

    The first day of the Ghana card registration exercise in the Northern Region was hampered by logistical challenges as some applicants who visited the centres in the region to register were asked to come the next day.

    But in a statement, the Authority admitted that the challenges that plagued the transportation of its logistics are to blame for the development.

    Read: NIA extends Ghana Card registration in V/R by three weeks

    It quickly added that the challenges have been tackled for a smooth registration exercise.

    “The National Identification Authority (NIA) apologizes to residents of Tamale, Nalerugu, Damango as well as other communities in the three northern regions who went to our registration centres on the first day only to experience a slow start to the mass registration exercise.”

    “Despite prior arrangements, the NIA encountered challenges in transporting some personnel and logistics from Accra to the three regions, which affected the smooth start of the registration exercise”, it added.

    The NIA also gave assurances that these initial hitches will not undermine its commitment of having all residents in the region to fully register for the Ghana card.

    “We are happy to inform members of the general public that the challenges have been resolved; as personnel have now arrived at their respective districts and centres and the remaining logistics have also been airlifted by the Ghana Airforce to Tamale for distribution to various districts and registration points.”

    “Prospective applicants for registration for the Ghana Card in the Northern, Savannah and North East regions should be assured that their ability to register for the Ghana card will not be undermined by the slow start as the registration centres will operate at their optimum.”

    Read: 54-year-old woman dies after collapsing in Ghana card queue

    Apart from the late arrival of equipment, the residents complained that there was a problem with the coding of the homes.

    According to the people, the name of the district in the system was saved as Tamale Sanguli, and refused to register due to the wrong name of the district.

    The registration process for the National Identification Card, also known as Ghana Card, has been fraught with several challenges since it started in April.

     

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Citizens of 167 countries live in Ghana – NIA

    Data compiled by the Foreigner Identification Management Systems (FIMS), a private partner of the National Identification Authority (NIA) registering foreigners legally resident in Ghana, has issued ID cards to foreigners of 167 different nationalities.

    22,393 Foreigners issued ID cards

    Between January and August 2019, the Foreigner Identification Management Systems has issued cards to 22,393 foreigners resident in Ghana.

    NIA cautions banks against rejecting the Ghana Card

    It comprises 15,679 foreign residents who have renewed their ID cards and 6,714 fresh applicants who were also issued ID cards.

    Foreigners are required to renew their ID cards each.

    Consequently, the Foreigner Identification Management Systems has embarked on a mass registration exercise from September 9, and will end October 31, 2019.

    The exercise is taking place at the Accra International Conference Centre.

    Foreigners need the ID card to apply for a resident’s permit. Registration of foreigners for ID cards started in the year 2012.

    Providing further details, Head of Corporate Affairs of the NIA, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI) Francis Palmdeti told The Finder that 15,679 foreigners legally resident in Ghana have renewed their foreigners’ ID cards between January and August 2019.

    NIA cautions banks against rejecting the Ghana Card

    He explained that the number of ID card renewals during the same period for previous years are 2016 – 14,303; 2017 15,621; 2018 16,320; and 2019 15,679.

    During the same period, he said 6,714 first-time applications by foreigners legally resident in Ghana were also processed and cards issued to applicants.

    According to him, the number of cards issued to foreigners between January and August in previous years are 2016 8,886; 2017 9,082; 2018 8,277; and 2019 6714.

    6,022 Chinese issued ID cards

    ACI Palmdeti, revealed that 6,022 Chinese citizens have been issued foreigners’ identification cards, which is the highest on the list.

    3,434 Indians issued ID cards

    He added that Indians emerged second highest with 3,434 citizens resident in Ghana who have been issued foreigners’ identification cards.

    1,617 Nigerians issued ID cards

    He noted that the number of Nigerians who have been issued foreigners ID cards amounted to 1,617.

    1,153 Americans issued ID cards

    The Head of Corporate Affairs of the NIA stated that a total of 1,153 citizens of the United States of America have been issued foreigners’ identification cards.

    Other nationalities in top 10 countries

    ACI Palmdeti gave the breakdown of the other countries that constitute the top as Lebanon 579, United Kingdom 532, South Africa 458, Germany 383, Philippines 399, and France 300.

    375,000 Registered legal permanent residents

    There are about 375,000 registered legal permanent residents in Ghana, as well as foreign workers and students.

    Source: thefinderonline.com