PPP - Ignore NDC Attempt to Disrupt Nat'l ID Card

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The Progressive People's Party (PPP), has urged the government to ignore the deliberate attempt by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to disrupt the progress of the ongoing national identification card registration by the National Identification Authority (NIA).

It said government should allow the process to continue while addressing the issues raised by the NDC since the card is critical for the development, mobilising and formalising a credible national database for the country.

Addressing the press yesterday in Accra on matters hindering the progress of the exercise, Policy Analyst of the party, Mr Kofi Asamoah Siaw noted that surprisingly in the Hansard of Parliament at no point did the NDC raised allegations towards the implementation of the Ghana Card.

He noted that the Minority knew very well that the Authority would do away with the use of voter's identity card, drivers' license and baptismal certificates and maintain the use of birth certificate and passports only.

"The question is, were the NDC Members of Parliament sleeping when they accepted the current ways of proving citizenship?.

"The party cannot be allowed to continue their disservice to Ghana even in opposition when they blatantly refused to implement the Ghana Card policy for eight years they were in power," Mr Siaw pointed out.

He admonished the hierarchy of the NDC to allow the process to continue and stop the attempt to bastardise the exercise by raising non-existent difficulties with the process in the pursuit of their suspicious and covert agenda.

Whilst recommending the work of the NIA in collecting data for the over 21 million people during the first exercise in all the ten regions, the Policy Analyst indicated that the party was shocked and disappointed about the cost involved in the implementation of the card.

Mr Siaw insisted that to promote good governance, accountability, transparency and probity in the country's public financial system, the party suggest parliament invite the NIA to scrutinise the cost.

"The Auditor-General should also be given the opportunity to audit the activities of the NIA and submit its report to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament," he added.

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