The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority, Professor Kenneth AgyemanAttafuah, has cautioned against the provision of falsified documents by applicants at the registration points.
He explained that persons who provide false information would be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service for further action and possible prosecution.
“People come to us and they want us to change the date of birth (DOB) on the face of the card because they had misrepresented themselves at a certain scholarship opportunity or procured a passport with a certain DOB and they want the two to align, the NIA is not going to be a partner in such dishonesty,” he said.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra on Monday, he revealed that cards of some aggrieved people were not issued due to their inability to prove that “the changes they are seeking to make were legitimate.”
Prof. Attafuah cautioned the citizenry to desist from serving as guarantors for persons who are not Ghanaians but want to obtain a Ghana Card, as it was an offence.
However, the onus lies on “us the citizenry to report persons who are not Ghanaians but want to acquire a Ghana card as it was an attempt to defraud the nation.”
He added that the ongoing registration exercise was prudent as there was a need to establish a credible register of persons in the country.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by NIA Head of Communication, Abudu Abdul-Ganiyu, on Friday announced the creation of six new registration points namely Accra Sports Stadium, El-Wak Sports Stadium, Kumasi Sports Stadium, Ghana National Fire Service regional office in Cape Coast and Tamale Sports Stadium to decongest the existing registration points across the country.
The new points would operate alongside NIA’s 276 districts and 16 regional offices, as well as the premium registration centre at its Headquarters.
The statement further entreated persons who had already registered but had not received their cards to contact their respective district offices to collect them.
BY JESSEL LARTEY THERSON-COFIE
