The Eastern Regional Secretariat of the Opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, is calling for immediate suspension of the ongoing mass registration exercise for Ghana Card by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
According to the party, the exercise could be the “weakest link in Coronavirus fight” therefore must be suspended.
This was contained in a statement issued under the signature of Darlas Ampomah Williams, the Eastern Regional Communication Director of the NDC.
The NIA began the mass registration exercise in the region on March 4, 2020, and expected to end March 27, 2020.However, the outbreak of coronavirus which Ghana has recorded six cases with over a hundred cases being tested compelled President of Ghana Nana Akufo Addo to suspend all gatherings with participants above 25.
The NIA subsequently tweaks its processes in line with the directive by the President however the contrary is being observed at the registration centers across the region continue to be overcrowded which according to the NDC is a risk factor for coronavirus infection.
Below is the statement issued by the Eastern Regional Secretariat of NDC:
MASS NIA REGISTRATION IN ER – THE WEAKEST LINK IN COVID-19 FIGHT
We have sighted documentary materials in respect of the President’s recorded Address to the Nation (No. 2) and as much as we believe the President has every right to issue such guidelines or orders, we are however disappointed with the deliberate neglect of the activities of the NIA in the Ghana card registration process.
We do take cognizance of the President’s directive to suspend all public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events and religious activities such as churches and mosques for the next (4) weeks.
We are also aware of the same directive to close down all Universities, Senior High Schools, basic schools, that is, public and private schools effectively from March 16th, 2020, which has been fully complied.
We also appraise ourselves with an order to observe social distancing protocols as mentioned by the President. These measures have been welcomed despite the inconveniences and interruptions to aspects of our rich culture and heritage. For example, we have seen couples postponing Weddings, outdoorings or naming ceremonies and other events.
Nananom, such as the Kwahu and New Juaben Traditional Councils have subsequently issued various statements to affirm the directives from the President and further provide localized directives to fight the dreaded pandemic.
We are however shocked at the government’s deliberate omission of the Ghana card Registration Process which is currently on-going across the Eastern Region or the gross disrespect for the directives from the President and Nananom from the NIA.
The exercise is one that brings people together. A visit to any Registration center reveals overcrowded scenes of the aged, the sick and the disabled. Anyone who turns up to register would have to share the same scanner being used to capture fingerprints with everyone as well as engage in other acts that bring humans into contact with each other without any protection for Officials or the public. While the government was bold to mention and advise on social distancing protocols and banning certain social gatherings of these natures, the NIA has remained deviant.
This continuous Mass registration could be the weakest link in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 in Ghana. It is, therefore, our expectation that the government would be bold to suspend the NIA card Registration processes the same way it did for Schools, political rallies, churches, and Mosques until we are able to contain the spread of this deadly virus. Is it not ironic that these churches, mosques, and schools that have been closed down have become the assembling point for NIA’s mass registration exercise?
We also suspect that there is a lot more information the government is keeping from the public in respect of the number of new cases recorded as well as the origin and truth surrounding the first recorded cases of the convicted 19 virus. The government has a responsibility to be truthful to the citizenry and we expect the president to lead in that regard.
That being said, we have observed governments attempt at controlling the spread of the Coronavirus is more of propaganda than action-driven. The best way to control this menace requires the provision of timely and accurate information and support on the part of government and citizens’ compliance on the part of the public. The deliberate withholding of information and the populist processes being adopted by the government is not helping and we advise the government to be up to the task.
We have become aware of the intellectually malnourished release by the National Identification Authority (NIA) signed by ACI. Francis Palmdeti, Head Corporate Affairs yesterday, which seeks to protect only the registration officers without recourse to the safety of the citizenry, and we see this action of the NIA as an act of insensitivity and blatant disrespect to the precautionary directives as announced by the President last Sunday.
Owing from the above, we are by this release
1. Calling for the immediate suspension of the NIA registration exercise in the region or
2. Constitute ourselves into citizen vigilantes to support government by helping enforce the directives of the President to avoid such large assemblies that put all of us at the risk of being infected by this dangerous disease.
May God guide all of us in these difficult times.
Thank you.
Darlas Ampomah Williams
Regional Communications Officer
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
