Some residents in the Upper East Region are unhappy about responses from the Regional Registration Officer for the NIA, Ibrahim Awudu about the challenges in acquiring the Ghana card.
While admitting that there was an initial shortage of cards for the printing of the Ghana card in the region, the reason for the delays in issuing the cards, the National Identification Authority (NIA) also explained that there has been an increasing demand for the Ghana card within the past few weeks in the Upper East Region because some communities, driven by excessive politics, decided not to be a part of the mass registrations exercise for the card, along with the subsequent mop-up exercise.
This came to light when the Upper East Regional Registration Officer for the NIA, Ibrahim Awudu spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show, today, Monday, July 18, 2022.
A lot of people did not take the opportunity to register in this region. There were too many political talks about it. People bought into it. It affected a lot of them. Now that people are feeling that and seeing the need for the Ghana card, they are now rushing. That is why we have a huge number rushing to our offices.”
Listeners of the Day Break Upper Show did not take kindly to the comments by Mr. Awudu.
Master Oluman Blacksmith said, “the Ghana card is very important for us. I was listening to the interview with the boss [Regional Registration Officer] I want him to come out and say the truth. He said that about 18,000 cards are in the office. I want him to be honest to the people of the Upper East Region, he should mention one radio station that they went to and made the announcement for people to come for their cards and people didn’t. When you are interviewing them, they should not come and say things that are not true. People are struggling to get their cards. They should be honest.”
Another caller who gave his name as William, calling from Wikongo said “the boss, the one who just finished talking, I beg him in the name of God, he should come out and tell us the truth. Why do we as Ghanaians not want to help our brothers and sisters? I always pass by their office around 4 am and people will be in the queue in that area and they would not even get the card. So why is it that always, our big men are lying to us like that? Why are we like that? They have to think about God first and speak the truth.”
A caller who gave his name as Philip said “the one you interviewed was economical with the truth. If you have people like that, it is always worrying. Myself, I had to go and sleep throughout the night before I had the Ghana card at Tongo-beo. If he is claiming that when they started people were not interested in it and that they were influenced by politics, it cannot be true. Im Sheaga, people had to pay money before they could get this Ghana card. So what is he talking about? They came to Sheaga to do the registration, why are they not going to Sheaga to distribute the cards? He [the Regional Registration Officer] should even apologise to us for saying that when the thing started, people were reluctant to go and do it.”
Philip explained that it may be simpler for the NIA to distribute the said 18,00 cards by liaising with the Chiefs and the Assembly Members for the various Electoral areas.
Meanwhile, another called chided residents for their initial reluctance, agreeing with the Regional Registration Officer. He gave his name as Alhaji Baba.
“When we started this thing to register, people did not have time to do it. When you call someone to go do it, they will say I don’t have time to queue and do it. They forget that they [the government] are doing is for your own benefit. Come and do it free of charge, you refused.”
Another caller Bongo T.T said, “in fact when it came, it was political. People did not want to do it. In fact, the fault is coming from us, it is not coming from anybody. When they [the government] brought the card, people were saying they should go away because they [the residents] did it a long time ago and no one had their cards. Now look at it, is now serious. Even, they brought some to Daporetindongo, I did not see anyone there. So I think it is our fault.”
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
