Ghana Card: Thieves Allegedly Break Into NIA Office, Steal Registration Machines

• Equipment used for printing the Ghana Card has reportedly been stolen at the NIA office in Ahafo Region
• As a result of the burglary, the office has been shut raising concerns citizens may not be able to acquire their Ghana cards before the September 1 SIM card registration deadline
• MP for the area, Eric Opoku, who disclosed this, said although the matter has been reported to police, no arrests have been made

It has emerged that robbers have raided an office of the National Identification Authority (NIA) at the Asunafo South constituency in the Ahafo Region and stolen machines for printing the Ghana Card.

Member of Parliament for the area, Eric Opoku, disclosed on Monday, August 8, 2022, that although the burglary has been reported to the police, no credible leads about the perpetrators have emerged.

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Mr Opoku, opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP told local language radio station, Okay FM, that the NIA office where the robbery occurred has since been closed down.

He made the revelations to point to genuine challenges that Ghanaians may be facing to acquire the Ghana Card and link it with their mobile numbers before a September 1, 2022 deadline.

His comments on the radio station was made in Twi and translates into English as follows:

"Government has given a deadline for the registration of SIM cards and you have an NIA office that been burgled. How are you going to have those people who are eligible to register be able to register for their Ghana Card and even register their SIM and possibly register for their voters ID card?”

He has appealed to the security agencies and the NIA to strengthen security at all NIA offices that keep the Ghana Card printing machines.

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The Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation is pressing citizens and non-citizens to link their Ghana Card, the national ID card, with their SIM cards and other vital information.

Although the move has been touted as consistent with modern digitalisation trend, the ministry has been accused of heavy-handedness in its approach.

There have been concerns that genuine challenges in acquiring the Ghana Card may cause people to miss the September 1 deadline. Already the deadline has been postponed two times.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has also kickstarted a legal process to make the national ID the sole requirement for eligible voters to be included in the voters register for the general elections in 2024.

That move has also been criticised as dangerous because it may disenfranchise Ghanaians who would genuinely not have the Ghana Card by voting day.

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Meanwhile, about EC's plan to make the Ghana Card the sole requirement for voter registration, an outspoken legislator for the opposition for NDC has warned Ghana's elections management body not to attempt to steal the elections for the governing party.

YEN.com.gh reported that Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said he foresees a sinister plan by the Electoral Commission (EC), led by Jean Mensa, to rig the elections for the New Patriotic Party in 2024.

His comments follow the EC's ongoing process to make the Ghana Card the only acceptable ID for people eligible to vote in Ghana.

Source: YEN.com.gh