The Minority in Parliament has strongly pointed out that the attempt by the current administration to brand them "as anarchist would not stick".
Describing recent remarks by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo against them on issues concerning the national identification (ID) registration process as needless and unfortunate, the Minority stressed that Ghanaians are not unaware of those who "gloated over the violent actions during the Atiwa by-elections and also the now infamous call to violence - "All die be die"."
President Akufo-Addo over the weekend criticized the Minority in Parliament for boycotting the ongoing Ghana card registration in Parliament.
He does not understand why the NDC who had supported the exclusion of voters ID cards, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards, among others, as qualification for national ID registration in Parliament would turn round and stand against the implementation of the same.
But a statement issued Monday and signed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said they "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"
“We urge you to do the right thing. 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,” the statement added.
Below is the full statement
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. 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 awaits your action or inaction, Mr. President.
[Signed]
HARUNA IDDRISU, MP
Minority Leader
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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@Charles Wayo: You are typically an NDC supporter indeed, because you don’t read. The issuance of Ghana Card is progressing steadily in major institutions in Accra now.
Why are you silent on that. Voter ID is for voting and Ghana card is multipurpose card. Who is intelligent to accept that, that ECOWAS voter ID card will not be used here. We are sanitizing the system.
Some NPP supporters think that hatred for a leader is their soul prerogative, their little brain refuses to alert them that there are other Ghanaians who HATE the NPP and it's over promising Nana and none credible Bawulia in equal or surpassing manner. When they point out the reason for their objection instead of you to exercise a little patience to understand you just go on the pungent of hypocrisy because they introduced it. Are you implementing exactly what they introduced or changes as been made. Is the cost structure and implementation the same? Do you have any idea the stress on the incompetent passport office and department responsible for registering births if all the 23miil decide to congregate there for the documents? How can you justify your legitimacy as a president and claim the card that was used to elect you as president is held by foreigners. Instead for us to think in our interest as Ghanaians we time and time again koto to the deceit and self interest of ordinary people that we have empowered and accept SUPER INCOMPETENCE for our reward.
Please NDC don,t waste your time on this so called Ghana card, it is just another NPP failed promise it will never happened. Where are we now with that card? they just pretended doing something with Presidency and parliament and gone back to sleep.
This clearly potrays NDC are hypocrates. They are hypocrates in every sence because they lack the wisdom and knowledge to advance the course of Ghana to better Ghana in future. Theirs is to creat loot and share. That is their mantel. Bcos they know that lot of foreigners have the voters ID card which they intentionally did to steal the elections, they are now agitating for the voters id to be included in the criteria required for the registration of the Ghana Card. Shame unto NDC. Ghanaians are more awake and will never kotow to your vile propanganda. I really feel pity for Haruna Iddrisu. He is being used and it will surely affact him in future. Think Haruna think.
You see the problem of the NDC regarding the GhanaCard? They never thought this government could roll out the process in such a short time. Their shouts of Election 2020 has been jeopardised by this GhanaCard registration. They were engaged in a grand scheme on how to rig 2020. Now, with the introduction of GhanaCard, they have to develop new rigging methods, which is very difficult for them. And with the likelihood of the card being used for Election 2020, they can feel defeat in the air. I bet you, they will continue to make noise about it and probably go to court. They will lose in all fronts, anyway, because the government has no intention of changing the process. Just pity them, the NDC.
My good friend northerner does not understand things,the pronouncement from MPs such as Suhuyini,A B A Fuseini, Inusah Fuseini,Aik Mohammed, Alfred Mornah etc deppens the impression other Ghanaians have for we the northners but we are right thinking members of a society. It cost less in issuing card in America and Europe because the government have the data of the citizens and foreigners and also cards differ. Biometric card issue by UK with almost the same data and even more in the Ghana case is £309.00 over one month and it costs over £550.00 instantly that is one day. Please Huruna call the British High Commission in Ghana and find out if what I am saying is wrong.Please do not throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians. My advice to him is, he should start refine his language because he is a potential presidential material to lead NDC in future.
The NDC MP's have shown Ghanaians clearly that, they don't read and if they read also, they don't understand what they read. How can you approve the Ghana Card bill unanimously and turn round to come and complain on the some thing you've approved. Whiles Ghanaians thinks of development, the NDC only thinks of election and nothing alse.
Why are the police CID waiting for in prosecuting these NDC double salary thifs?..... They are making too much noise and distracting us. Prosecute them quickly and send them to Nsawam prison to give us some peace to build our country..... After saying all the nice things about the NIA bill in parliament you turn round to derail the process..... NDC greedy ba.s.t.ards. Your Togolese voters will never find their way into our voters register again.....
The Minority were in parliament when the National identity Register was laid and debated. None of them expressed any grievances about the bill. They were all in support of the bill, lavishing praise on it. Now the bill is passed, and what do we hear? Bunch of lazy and ***barred word*** members of the minority is what we have. Completely use1ess bunch paid by our taxes. Your Togolese voters will not find their way into the register anymore, and there will you see your real electoral level in this country.