The last day of Ghana Card Registration in the Eastern Region was marred with extortions and Confusion in some registration Centers on Saturday, June 27, 2020.
For instance, about 20 Ghana Card applicants were stranded at Suhum New town Presbyterian registration center after a Commissioner responsible for guarantor’s forms left the center over menstrual pains.
The absence of the Commissioner in Charge of the guarantor’s forms at Suhum New Town Presbyterian Center created confusion at the registration center as the applicants were turned away and asked to go to a different center to register.
“We booked an appointment for 100 persons and even had 40 extra persons. Every operator is to have 30 persons in queue per time. The Commissioner is not around she is a lady and she is experiencing menstrual clamps so she left here to the housing quarter to 3:00 pm. she has vouched for many people today.so go to different centers” an NIA official at the center explained to the angry applicants.
However, after nearly an hour of back and forth with registration officials the stranded applicants were registered after an official intervened.
Meanwhile, some applicants in parts of the Eastern Region could not complete the process. Also, many of those who registered days ago could not receive their cards.
At Koforidua – Adweso Pentecost Shakina registration center about 30 applicants were still in the queue after 5:00 pm.
Many others who came to collect their cards were asked to return the following day Sunday.
Meanwhile, there were incidents of extortions by NIA officials in some centers, particularly from Tinkong and Koforidua-Adweso.
At Tinkon in Akuapem North, NIA officials were reportedly extorting monies from applicants
At Koforidua -Adweso Pentecost registration center an NIA official was seen taking GHc20 from a military officer in uniform.
The National Identification Authority (NIA) resumed its registration in the Eastern Region from June 18 and ended June 27, 2020.
Meanwhile, before the registration, NIA had on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, the started distribution of Ghana Cards to applicants who were duly registered before it suspended its operation on March 21, 2020, as a result of Coronavirus pandemic.
The issuance of the cards in 5,635 registration centers across the country, ended Thursday, 18 June 2020.
“The exercise will enable approximately 3,934,073 Ghanaians who could not receive their cards during the mass registration exercise to do so”, the NIA said in a statement.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
