NIA to start "Ghana Card" distribution on July 4

Accra, June 24, GNA - The National Identification Authority (NIA) on Friday said it would start distributing the National Identity Card, known as the 93Ghana card", from July 4 starting with the Greater Accra Region.

The Authority said 250 work station operators, supervisors and monitors would be deployed to ensure the smooth running of the exercise, which would last for one week at each sub-metro.

Phase One starts from the Okaikwei sub-metro from July 4-10 to be followed by Ablekuma South, Osu Clottey, Asiedu Keteke, Ayawaso and Kpeshie, Ga East and Ga West in that order.

At a press conference in Accra, the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Dr. William Ahadzie, said information on the exercise would be communicated to the public through radio announcements, information vans and letters to various institutions.

The collection points would be the various mass registration centres while mobile distribution units would visit institutions covered under special the registration exercise.

Dr Ahadzi appealed to the public not to rush and queue at dawn for the cards adding that those who did not receive their cards would be given another opportunity to get them from their regional offices.

He said a list of those whose cards were not ready would also be made available so that people would not queue for long hours only to be told that that their card was not ready.

Explanations would be given about what went wrong and how to get another one.

The Executive Secretary appealed to the public not to be violent at the stations because every Ghanaian would be served and warned that those who misbehaved would face the law.

He explained that the process of storing data was every sensitive, noting that the slightest shift of a person's head during the photo shot might cause one ear not to appear and therefore lead to non-issuance of a card and inaccurate information could also lead to non-issuance of a card.

Those who detect errors on personal data should report to the authenticating officer immediately at the centre for advice or report in person the NIA head office or regional office with a letter requesting for the correction with a valid ID card, preferably what was used in the registration exercise.

Dr Ahadzi explained that in such circumstance a person would have another opportunity to re-register at a date to be announced later to correct the inaccuracies or have another picture taken for the issuance of the card.

Act 750 section 33 mandates the authority to replace lost, damaged or stolen cards.

Citizens 15 years and above are eligible to go for the cards for now and people would have to take along their collection slips or registration receipt given to them during the exercise.

However, those who have misplaced their slips would have to go with an ID and patiently wait until the applicants with receipts are served.

Dr Ahadzi said people should be there in person to collect their cards for the authentication of finger print before they were released.

He insisted that the exercise was totally free except for institutions who had requested special delivery of their cards, which would have to pay a fee for transportation to deliver them.

The card which, he said, met international standards could be used, among other things, for health delivery purposes, passport and driver licence acquisition, receipt of banking services, credit information, insurance claims, hire purchase, electoral registration, remittances from abroad, travelling and E-commerce.

So far six regions - Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Western, Eastern and the Volta - have been covered under the mass registration exercise but a mopping up exercise would continue until everyone has been covered.

The biometric cards are valid for 10 years and children who turn six are to be registered at the various regional centres.