The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has called on the Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu, to investigate NPP stalwart Gabby Asare Otchere Darko and presidential staffer Samuel Bryan Buabeng over the fake Ghana cards bearing the names and data of some minority MPs.
According to the Minority Leader, the two individuals were the first to circulate the cards on social media and must be probed to establish what he described as “the full reach of this criminal enterprise.”
The Minority has distanced itself from the national ID exercise until voter’s ID cards are accepted as one of the requirements for the national card.
However, pictures have been circulating on social media purporting to be photos of Ghana Cards issued to some Minority MPs by the NIA.
The said MPs have denied knowledge of the cards and have threatened to sue the Authority if it does not clear the air.
The NIA has denied ever registering some members of the Minority in Parliament for the Ghana Card.
“The purported Personal Identification Numbers on the cards fall completely outside the unique numbering system and scope of NIA. The pictures on the cards also don’t conform to NIA picture requirements,” the Authority said in a statement,” the NIA said in a statement.
But the Minority Leader in a statement Tuesday stated that the “act portends grave danger for the sanctity of the data of Honourable Members and gives valid credibility to the already stated position of the Minority that the current process being undertaken by the National Identification Authority is fraught with grave security challenges.”
Below is the full statement
OFFICE OF THE MINORITY LEADER
The attention of the Minority has been drawn to Ghana Cards bearing the names and images of the Member of Parliament for Asawase and Minority Chief Whip, Hon, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, the Member of Parliament for Builsa North, Hon. James Agalga, the Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Hon. Isaac Adongo being circulated on several soda! media platforms.
These fake cards carry the data of the Honourable Members of Parliament even though the said members have at no point in time submitted themselves to the spelt out processes for acquiring a. Ghana Card.
This act portends grave danger for the sanctity of the data of Honourable Members and gives valid credibility to the already stated position of the Minority that the current process being undertaken by the National Identification Authority is fraught with grave security challenges.
The Minority is even more concerned that this apparent breach of the NIA systems appears to be state sponsored and having the blessings of the office of the President.
A very close confidante and cousin to the President, Mr. Gabby Otchere-Darko and a current serving Presidential Staffer, Mr. Samuel Bryan Buabeng were the first two individuals to put out the images of the fake Ghana Cards.
This apparent State sanctioned breach of the National Identification Authority processes should be a major worry for any well-meaning citizen.
We are by this statement calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. David Asante Apeatu to immediately cause the commencement of investigations of this breach and invite the two named individuals who were the source of these fake Ghana Cards to determine the extent of the breach and to establish the full reach of this criminal enterprise including the culpability or otherwise of the duo.
We are also calling upon the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Micheal Aaron Oquaye to cause an investigation into the apparent breach of Parliamentary data and to determine the extent of the breach.
The Minority would monitor the developments in the next few days and take necessary remedial actions available guided by our legal jurisprudence to protect the interests of the affected Members of the Minority and all Members as a whole.