Although Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has promised extra money for Ghana Card registrations, the Minority caucus in Parliament has stated that they do not believe his promises.
Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, held a press conference saying they don’t trust Ken Ofori-Atta’s assurances. There has been a suspension in Ghana Card registration and distribution because the NIA allegedly owes its suppliers GH117 million.
On Tuesday, the Electoral Commission Chairwoman Jean Mensa appeared before Parliament to defend and justify the CI and to demand approval so that future elections in Ghana would be conducted fairly and transparently.
Madam Jean Mensa told Parliament about the proposed constitutional instrument for the next general elections. She said the C.I. intends to promote continuous voter registration and will permit year-round registration of eligible voters at its district offices, but the Minority has strongly opposed the idea on the grounds that it could deprive many people of their voting rights.
Due to a shortage of cards, the NIA has been unable to produce IDs for more than three million people, forcing it to focus on charging a premium price for its registration services (now GH280).
Also on Tuesday, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta addressed parliament and announced that the Ministry of Finance has given funds to pay off the National Identification Authority’s GH100 million debt, leaving it with a GH117 million debt to be paid off before it can continue its operations.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has promised to transfer cash to the National Identification Authority (NIA) so that more Ghanaians can be registered, but members of the Minority caucus in Parliament have said they do not believe his word.
Source – Tru News Report
