The National Identification Authority (NIA) has said it has enough registration forms for the Ghana card.

A statement issued by the NIA following a number of reports that some centers were charging between Ghc10-Ghc20 before they register them said: “the National Identification Authority (NIA) that, prospective applicants at some NIA registration centers are being told that there are no National Identity Card Application Forms or Oath of Identity Forms at those centers. The result is that prospective applicants are turned away even though the centers have enough of those forms in stock.

“Any contrary claim by an NIA registration official is untrue, and maybe a pretext to justifying improper conduct such as extortion of monies from desperate applicants at that registration center; Claims of shortage of forms at a registration center can only be artificial or pretextual, and constitutes misinformation of the public and unfair treatment of prospective applicants.”

“Such conduct also brings the name of the NIA into disrepute. Accordingly, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against NIA officials found to be implicated in such conduct. Members of the public are respectfully urged to report any instance of extortion, bribery, corruption or other criminal or improper conduct to the Police.”

Read below the full statement

22nd May 2019 For immediate release

PRESS RELEASE

NIA REGISTRATION FORMS

It has come to the attention of Management of the National Identification Authority (NIA) that, prospective applicants at some NIA registration centers are being told that there are no National Identity Card Application Forms or Oath of Identity Forms at those centers.

The result is that prospective applicants are turned away even though the centers have enough of those forms in stock.

In this regard, NIA wishes to inform the general public as follows:

1. Any contrary claim by an NIA registration official is untrue, and maybe a pretext to justifying improper conduct such as extortion of monies from desperate applicants at that registration center;

4. Claims of a shortage of forms at a registration center can only be artificial or pretextual and constitute misinformation of the public and unfair treatment of prospective applicants.

Such conduct also brings the name of the NIA into disrepute.

Accordingly, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against NIA officials found to be implicated in such conduct. Members of the public are respectfully urged to report any instance of extortion, bribery, corruption or other criminal or improper conduct to the Police;

5. Each Coordinating Registration Officer (CRO) of NIA is trained and instructed to ensure that stock levels of consumables, including Application Forms and Oath of Identity Forms, are adequate at the center before and after registration on a daily basis.

When stocks are running low, it is the duty of the CRO to inform the District Registration Officer (DRO) who then ensures that dwindling stocks are replenished in a timely manner;

6. The Mass Registration exercise is the first step the law prescribes to have the national identity register populated. At the conclusion of the mass registration exercise, NIA will set up permanent Regional and District offices to continue registering Ghanaians.

7. The continuous registration phase is also free of charge to all applicants who will be registering for the first time.

8. On average, a registration center can only register a maximum of 120 applicants per day based on such considerations as number of Mobile Registration Workstations (MRW) at each center (3), the population size and the hours of work for each day (8:00 am – 5:00 pm);

9. The CROs have been instructed to inform prospective applicants about this fact. Therefore, applicants who are unable to register because of the ceiling will have to come another day; and

10. The NIA wishes to assure the general public that it will register and issue the Ghana Cards to all Ghanaians either during the mass registration exercise or during the continuous registration phase, and respectfully entreats every Ghanaian to cooperate with it.

SGND: ACI FRANCIS PALMDETI HEAD, CORPORATE AFFAIRS, NIA