Vice President of policy think thank Imani Africa Kofi Bentil has claimed that Ghanaians need the National Identification Authority(NIA) cards, Ghana cards, more than they need roads and hospitals.
Reacting to warnings by the NIA to Ghanaians to not register twice, Mr Bentil advised the NIA to focus on making its systems function properly rather than issuing such cautions given that if their systems functioned properly, it would identify double registrants and delete them from the database of the NIA.
He noted that the inability of the NIA to complete its work is the reason for which the Electoral Commission of Ghana(EC) is spending over $100 million on a new register.
The NIA has revealed that about 32,000 cases of double registration have been identified in its database and warned that the culprits will be prosecuted. But Mr Bentil has argued that the NIA flawed systems are to blame.
“Dear NIA. If your systems function properly, it will flag and delete all double registrations because no one can change their irises or fingerprints!!!!
A biometric system is self-cleansing. Focus on making the system work well and complete this exercise. It is crucial for everything.
Your inability to complete it is the reason EC is saddling this nation with over $100m of needless work. Money which in my view should Come to you!!
Stop threatening prosecution and focus on completing your work well. We need this national ID more than roads and hospitals. Medaase,” he explained on Facebook .
The NIA, meanwhile, is distributing cards to registrants who could not pick up their cards even as it prepares to register the rest of the Ghanaian population that could not register.
