General News of Monday, 23 March 2020

Source: starrfm.com.gh

Court stops Ghana card registration exercise in Eastern Region

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An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah has granted the application for an interlocutory injunction stopping the National Identification Authority (NIA) from continuing with its Eastern Region registration exercise.

A businessman, Prince Henry Tabi, and twenty-nine (29) others instituted the action against the NIA after the State institution failed to comply with the 15th of March 2020 Executive orders of President Akufo-Addo, that suspended all public gatherings in Ghana for four weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic currently sweeping across the world with Ghana currently recording twenty-four (24) cases.

Moving the exparte application in Court Monday morning, the lawyer for the applicants, Justice Srem Sai, told the Court that the actions of the NIA represent a total disregard for the orders of the President and order of the Court to restrain the National Identification Authority cannot be overemphasized.

Justice Daniel Mensah’s Court in its ruling granted the interlocutory injunction for the next ten (10) days. The applicants are at liberty to repeat the application on notice to the NIA within the ten days period of the current interlocutory injunction that has been granted.

The lead applicant in the matter, Prince Tabi, in an interview after the Court hearing said he decided to come to Court because the actions of the NIA could have resulted in the loss of innocent lives in the Eastern Region if they proceeded with the registration exercise.

He expressed deep satisfaction with the decision of the High Court to place an injunction on the NIA even though they have already called off the Eastern Region exercise.