Ghana Card: No show in Parliament

By Papisdaff Abdullah. Ghana’s National Identification Authority (NIA) Monday failed to deliver on its promise to begin registering Members of Parliament for the issuance of the Ghana Card. The authority suspended the registration and issuance of the cards on May 28 after a failed roll out, resuming last week to successfully register persons at the Jubilee House – the seat of government. The exercise was to have begun in parliament today but the MPs who showed up were left stranded as officials of the NIA failed to show up. Panafricanvisions sources at the NIA, officials who were detailed to the lawmaking chamber to register and issue the cards to the MPs “got a communique from their bosses that today being Monday and the fact that Parliament does not sit on Monday they should hold own and rather show up tomorrow.” Meanwhile, the Minority members in Parliament have stated that they will boycott the planned registration of Parliamentarians by the NIA for the new Ghana Card. A statement signed by Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu stated that the decision was taken due to the failure of the NIA to engage Members of Parliament to clarify a number of issues relating to the roll out of the exercise. The minority is also raising questions about the cost, scope and legality of the project as well as registration requirements. According to the minority members, until those issues are cleared by the NIA, they will not take part in the planned registration.