Ghana Card: Volta NDC raises red flag

Residents in the Volta Region are faced with several difficulties in their quest to get enrolled on to the Ghana card programme.

More than three weeks since the exercise began in the region numerous challenges including network problems, frequent breakdown of machines, long queues, sleeping at registration centres overnight among others were observed.

Following these developments, Executives of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region have raised concerns and filed complaints at the National Identification Authority (NIA) for explanations why the exercise has been engulfed with such hindrances.

At a press conference held in Ho, the NDC's National Director of Elections, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, said the party executives have toured several registration centres across the region mostly rural areas and they have observed the agonies people go through to get their cards.

Mr Ankrah said the NDC is not impressed with how the exercise is been organised. He alleged that some NIA officials have been exhibiting a lukewarm attitude and disrespect applicants especially the elderly.

"Considering the educational background and ages of some of our elders in this region we expected the registration officers selected for this process in our region to be trained on handling aged people with respect and dignity, however it rather appears the NIA officials who were deployed to our region have a PhD in disrespect, rudeness, arrogance and foul language, " he stressed.

He said technical challenges and poor human behaviours by NIA official have discouraged Voltarians from participating in the registration.

The former Minister for Youth and Sports subsequently called on the NIA to come out with measures that will enable eligible applicants to go through the processes without challenges adding "we believe a lot of Ghanaians may have serious difficulties in acquiring the Ghana card considering how the process has been conducted, and therefore we as a party will resist any attempt by the Electoral Commission to make this card a requirement for voter registration or for the voting itself".

Meanwhile, the exercise is expected to end on 14 August within Volta and expected to continue in the Oti region in the third week of August.