National Identification card can be used as voter’s ID card – Dr. Ahadzie

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has indicated that Ghanaians can use the National Identification card as a voter’s identification card, saying that in some jurisdictions, the National ID card is also the voter’s card.

Dr. Williams Ahadzie, Executive Secretary of the NIA said the data being produced by the NIA was credible and could be relied on by the Electoral Commission (EC) as voter’s ID card instead of the numerous registration exercises that had been conducted in the country over the years.

Dr. Ahadzie who was briefing the media in Tamale on Tuesday as part of processes for the NIA to begin registering people in the Northern Region, noted that the Authority was in talks with the EC to see if the two institutions could collaborate in that regard.

He said the issue of the collaboration of the two institutions was a sensitive one since both institutions had their mandates in accordance with the country’s Constitution but was hopeful that it was possible to build a single data base for that purpose.

He also announced that the registration of people for the national ID will start in the Northern Region in November this year, and that preparations were far advanced to undertake the exercise starting from the Tamale Metropolis to the districts in the new year.

Dr. Ahadzie said the NIA was optimistic that the registration exercise for the entire nation would be completed by the first quarter of next year, adding “It was estimated at the start of the exercise in 2008 that the whole exercise was to take only nine months but due to financial constraints, the time element had to be extended”.

He indicated that the NIA had secured some financial assistance from both local and international sources, hence its continuation and stated that the NIA had raised some capital from some local banks and other institutions to assist it to complete the national exercise.

He said the Authority had so far registered people in the Grater Accra, Eastern, Western, Ashanti, Volta and Brong Ahafo regions, with the Northern Region being the next in line.

Miss Bertha Dzeble, Head of Public Affairs of the NIA said public education on the airwaves and the playing of jingles to sensitize the people in the region about the upcoming exercise were some of the methods being adopted to reach out to people.

She said the Information Services Department would be assisting in public education especially in the remote parts of the area and appealed to the media to give constructive criticisms to enable the NIA to achieved its objectives.

Source: GNA