NIA: Failure to use Ghana Card to vote in 2024 will be a tragedy 

Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah says it will be a tragedy not to use Ghana card for election 2024.

He is convinced that there is no reasonable basis for that not to happen.

Interacting with selected media practitioners in Accra, Prof. Attafuah said should Parliament give the Electoral Commission (EC) the go ahead, NIA is ready to deliver.

“There’s ample time, there’s solid technology, expertise, leadership and will… If Parliament gives the Electoral Commission the go ahead, we are ready,” he said.

The EC has submitted a constitutional instrument to parliament seeking to use Ghana card to compile the new voters’ register.

According to the electoral management body, the Ghana Card is the most authentic means of identifying Ghanaians, and therefore the Commission’s decision to use it in compiling a new database of voters for election 2024.

Prof. Attafuah assured that NIA is poised to clear all backlogs and register new people if the Ghana card will be used for the 2024 general election.

He explained that out of the 19 million projected population qualified to be registered, the NIA has successfully registered 17.3 million.

NIA has registered 17.3 million (17,316,762) Ghanaians, printed 16.7 million (16,701,636) cards and issued 16 million (16,016,464) cards.

The Authority had so enrolled 164,405 foreigners, printed and issued 164,405 cards to them.

He noted that since the registration has captured 15 years and above, those who will be reaching voting age by 2024 have been registered.

The Executive Secretary is confident that the NIA can register the remaining two million people can be registered within six months ensuring that every qualified voter has Ghana card.

Prof Attafuah explained that since NIA has offices in all districts across the country and offers continuous registration NIA is capable of registering every qualified voter in time for election 2024.

He announced plans to begin the registration of Ghanaians abroad next year February.

He said the registration, a statutory requirement, would be done by Ghana’s missions and at a fee to the registrants.

Prof Attafuah said Ghanaians in the West African sub-region would pay the equivalent of $30 with those in the rest of Africa paying slightly lower than those Euro-American countries.

Ghanaians in Euro-American countries will pay the equivalent of $50.

He said the payment was part of the revenue model that underpinned the public private engagement on the Identity Management System and reason the Authority was able to give out the cards free to Ghanaians in Ghana.

The Authority will also start registering Ghanaians age six years and above and Ghanaians in detention from February next year.

The Authority has started the registration of refugees in the country.