Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Prof Ken Attafuah, has indicated that contrary to claims by Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyepong, that a new contract has been awarded under suspicious circumstances, no fresh contract has been signed.

The criminologist also pointed out that the accusations of corruption by Mr Agyapong against Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, are also untrue.

“…NIA has not signed a contract, neither has the Akufo-Addo presidency or government signed a contract with Margins or any company whatsoever.

“The NIA has not opened a bid for the National ID project. It has not received any bids or submissions from any person, entity or body whatsoever.

“Kennedy Agyapong has not submitted any bid to the NIA in respect of the National ID project. NIA has not evaluated any bid from any quarters at all in connection with this matter,” he stated.

“What the government has decided to do, following the report of a technical committee established by the vice president to advice government on what to do about the NIA is that, government had determined that the existing contractual agreement between the NIA and Identity Management System, which is a subsidiary of the Margins Group of companies, for the production of ID cards to foreigners lawfully resident in this country constitute a viable framework for giving to the people of Ghana a robust, modern national smart card and identification system.

“Therefore the NIA should proceed with that arrangement which existed prior to the NPP coming into power,” he emphasised in an interview on Joy TV’s Newsfile on Saturday, September 2.