The Minority National Democratic Congress ( NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) are begging the National Identification Authority (NIA) to accept the voter’s ID card as one of the requirements to show as proof of Ghanaian citizen when one applies to register for the Ghana Card
This follows their understanding that Parliament erred by failing to include the voter’s ID card in the Legislative Instrument (L.I) that regulates the roll out of the Ghana Card project when considering it in November 2017.
The group led by Haruna Iddrisu had earlier threatened to boycott the registration and instant issuance of the Ghana Card when the NIA does not clarify issues surrounding the project which ranges from cost, scope and legality of the project as well as registration requirements.
But at an interactive session with officials of the NIA in a Committee on the Whole, Tuesday, the Minority conceded that the legislature erred by failing to include the voter’s ID Card as part of the key requirements for the registration and instant issuance of the Ghana Card.
Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Inusah Fuseini, told the House that although the voter’s ID card was not included in the requirements for registration, there is still a way out as stipulated in the law which will not compel the NIA to go to Parliament and amend the law.
Quoting from the Parliamentary Debates dated (Hansard) November 17, 2017, paragraph 3386, he said “the Committee also noted that the bill seeks to do away with the use of voter identity cards, driver’s licence, baptisinal certificate as proof of citizenship. Mr. Speaker, going down it says that this is consistent with the decision of the Supreme Court in Abu Ramadan’s case. It’s an error. Mr. Speaker, I’ve found consolation in the law that we passed in particularly, section 3 of Act 950. It says that a birth certificate, valid passport, valid residence permit, valid certificate of acquired citizenship and any other. And any other – Mr. Speaker, that provides an avenue for the NIA to accept the voters’ ID card without necessarily coming to Parliament for an amendment”, he noted.
Further to that, he said since the CEO has stated that despite the provision of the requirements stated in the law, an applicant will still have to go through an interview, wondering where the NIA will mutually exclude the voters’ ID card.
That notwithstanding, Hon Fuseini alluded to the the fact the Constitution provides a fundamental test for citizenship which is captured in Article 42.
However, his submission was not taken by the NIA.
Source: kasapafmonline.com
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Ndc yaamutu.
Voters ID got with drivers license and NHIS card does not probe citizenship. Electoral commission was not able to clean the register after the supreme Court ruled that NHIS card does not prove citizenship hence this names should be scrapped from the list.This shows the voter ID has some flaws hence cannot be used as prove of identity as a Ghanaian.Even with passports I want Nia to do a check up of the parents of individual s to clean it up.Lot Nigerian s have Ghana passports
Very bad Timing too.. The thing has already started.. Mahama started this whole thing but He will fail onces a gain becos he does not deserve to be a leader..We want to get things done rightly so that things like this will not be disputed in the Future.. There Togolese in my church who have our voters ID and NHIS card.. Very sad.. Politics will kill us in this country..
hahahahahaha i laugh enter mahama ford inside, you see they are now exposing themselves it is now clear that the ecowas voters id card are full of foreigners who have been voting for them so they are afraid of it consequence, enkwasiafour and ankronfour party ndc, nation wreckers these bunch of an1mals have no love for this country but always seeking for their selfish interest
I am one of those who want the Voter Register to be compiled again so we can remove all those names that are not supposed to be there. So for the minority in parliament to be asking for the same Voter ID cards to be used as a document for applying for a National ID card is very difficult to understand.
Doulble Salary party who only think of how to rig elections.
If NDC think they can force NIA to compile Ecowas register for Ghana card, then they should wait indefinitely. We are plucking all the rigging holes to have a clean and credible elections, going forward.What is suicidal is to have a government through rigging, which is not the choice of the people.
This is really the evidence that ndc DO NOT READ. All the incompetent NDC MPs should bow their heads in shame for not reading their own hansard. Well this is not news bcos ndc opposes every social intervention. NDC YAAMUTU, NDC YAAMUTU, NDC YAAMUTU
This is a fiasco on the part of the minority. Truly: they DON'T READ!!! Now the boycott has turned into begging. You rush to oppose everything, even policies that will put food on your own tables.
After passing a law, you turn round and threaten to boycott an implementation of the same law. What kind of $h!thole group is this?