SIM Re-registration: We Are Not Part, We Can't Vouch For The Data - NIA Renders Exercise 'Useless'

• The Executive Secretary of the NIA Professor Ken Attafuah has revealed that the data being collected in the SIM re-registration exercise is exclusive to the NCA
• In a letter which has surfaced on social media, Prof Attafuah disclosed that the NIA was not part of the data collection process and could not confirm if the biometric data was up to their standard
• The NIA boss was responding to enquiries about the compatibility of the SIM re-registration data with their verification systems

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has poured cold water on the ongoing SIM re-registration exercise.

According to the NIA's Executive Secretary Professor Ken Attafuah, his outfit is not part of the process of taking biometric data of mobile phone users in the country and thus cannot vouch for the data.

Read also

GIJ: 2024/2025 registration, courses, admission, location, fees

In a letter dated September 13, 2021, Prof Attafuah revealed that the process is exclusive to the National Communication Authority (NCA) and its assigns with zero input from the NIA.

"For this reason, the NIA is unable to confirm that the biometric data to be collected by the NCA will meet the standard to enable successful verification against the National Identification System (NIS) database," he said.

Prof Attafuah was responding to an enquiry to ascertain the workability of the NCA's systems for the re-registration with the NIA's verification data.

His letter was shared on Facebook by Vice President of IMANI Ghana Selorm Branttie who happens to be one of the key people leading a protest against the re-registration exercise.

Ghana's SIM re-registration

The Minister of Communication, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, announced last year that there was going to be a registration of all SIM cards in operation. According to her, there were deficiencies in the data of mobile phone users which was collected some years ago hence the need for re-registration.

Read also

Surfline shutdown

In a directive in September 2021, the Communications Minister disclosed that the SIM re-registration exercise was to start on October 1. It was to end on March 31, 2022.

Per the directive, any SIM which had not been re-registered by March 31, 2022 was going to be blocked leaving the the owner SIMless.

Chaos over SIM re-registration

The exercise which started as scheduled has been highy criticised as mobile phone users have consistently encountered difficulties in trying to re-register their SIMs.

For some people, the use of the Ghana (NIA) Card as the only identification card for registering has been a problem because they do not have.

Those who have gone through the first process of linking their Ghana Cards to their SIMs have also met chaotic scenes at some other centres where their biometric data is supposed to be taken.

Protests over SIM re-registration and No call day

Read also

Applying for your Ghana biometric passport

The difficulties in getting one's SIM re-registered has led to a lot of protests on social media for the NCA to improve the process.

Already, some notable Ghanaians including Selorm Branttie, Ras Mubarak, Franklin Cudjoe, and Manesseh Azure Awuni have earmarked February 8 as No Call Day, a day to boycott mobile phone services.

Police arrests 7 over Nima-Mamobi clash

In other news on YEN.com.gh, the police has indicated that some of the people involved in the deadly clash between residents of Nima and Mamobi have been arrested.

It is reported that 5 suspects are already in custody with the other 2 receiving treatment at the Police Hospital.

A clash brewed between residents of the 2 suburbs of Accra over an alleged disagreement in relation to shisha.

Source: YEN.com.gh