The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has received his National Identification Card, dubbed the new “Ghana Card”, at a ceremony held at the premises of the National Identification Authority, on Friday, September 15, 2017.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the new identification card signals the dawn of a new day in biometric identity management in Ghana, and the virtues of a public-private partnership arrangement in meeting the country’s development needs.
The President indicated that the launch of the card “constitutes a practical demonstration of the fulfilment of yet another promise of my party, the New Patriotic Party, made during the 2016 campaign.”
The campaign promise, he recounted, was that “we would modernise and formalise the Ghanaian economy through the establishment of a credible national database, and using the National Identification System (NIS) as the primary identifier, as prescribed by law.”
Despite several years of demonstrated inability to do so, the National Identification Authority (NIA), under the tenure of an NPP administration, the President said, is about to commence the registration and instant issuance of national identity cards to all Ghanaian citizens, both at home and abroad, as by law prescribed.
“My presence at today’s event, together with the Vice President of the Republic highlights the seriousness to which my government attaches to the National Identification System project,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He continued, “With my fullest endorsement, Vice President Alhaji Bawumia has ably spearheaded the technical and legal processes that have enabled the Government to decide how to proceed with the goal of achieving a National e-ID system for Ghana, which is beyond needless controversy and polemics.”
President Akufo-Addo bemoaned the proliferation of biometric systems by other government agencies that are mandated by law to access information from the National Identity Register.
Assigning the collection and custody of biometric traits to a single institution, he explained, “is safer and in line with current trends. By statute, the NIA is under obligation to ensure the accuracy, integrity, confidentiality and security of data it collects.”
Advantages of the card
President Akufo-Addo noted that the new Ghana Card is a great improvement over the previous one, and meets all international standards required of such identity documents.
“For example, the national identity card has been enhanced to take advantage of new technologies such as tactile elements for the blind, chip embedding technology and iris capabilities in addition to taking all 10 fingerprints of an applicant,” he said.
Additionally, with a 128 kilobyte capacity, the Ghana Card will enable other stakeholders to run their applications on the national identity card. Ultimately, the card would replace the sectorial identity cards in circulation, and shall be the only card to be used in transactions where identification is required as provided by law.
“This registration exercise is also unique in the sense that it would involve the registration of ages 0-5. This is a historic opportunity for us to sanitize and rationalize birth certification in Ghana and ensure social inclusion right from birth,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Whilst congratulating Identity Management Systems Ltd (IMS), who are partnering with NIA to ensure the efficient roll-out of the NIS Project, the President reiterated the commitment of his government to supporting and enhancing the capacity of Ghanaian companies and businesses to be the giants in their respective areas of operation.
President Akufo-Addo reminded the stakeholders to ensure the integrity, security and confidentiality of identity data collected.
“It is important that the data collected is made available only to persons or institutions authorized by law to access the data and used only for the purposes for which the data was collected,” he added.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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NPP and thier incompetence. look at how they are implementin the free SHS. This bogus policy is not backed by any law which means future governments can scrap it. 2. No regulation on source of funding. 3. what will happen to students repeated for poor performance. 4. No cut of point, how and a student with agregade 50 who can not write his name succeed in SHS. My God, what is going to happen to the quality of education in Ghana. In competent NPP mteeewww
Max,you are the incompetent ***barred word***. wake up. Pull me down ***barred word***. Base your comments on constructive ideas. We are in a new era.
Hope this will be the end for all the ID's we carry around. Good work
Incompetent NPP why will you centralise Ghana card in Accra and expect all Ghanains to troupe to NIA office to getva card. No wcnder the first one failed under Koffour. Common sense will tekll you that the registration must be decentralised to district assembly offices. mtccchwww
Folks let us all pray and rally behind this vissionary incorruptible competent savior prez Nehemiah Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo to take our beloved country Ghana to the promised land of a DEVELOPED COUNTRY from 3rd world. His leadership style is just like the Nehemiah in the Bible so pls pls pls no matter your tribe, religious, party affiliations let us all arise and build. Tssooooooo boiiiiii!. LONG LIVE NANA ADDO-BAWUMIA, LONG LIVE NPP AND SUPPORTERS, LONG LIVE GHANA.
NANA is taking Ghana to the high level like abroad. Good work.
May God continue to bless you Nana and your government
NANA PLEASE AM VERY SORRY FOR NOT VOTING FOR U. U HAVE PROVE ME WRONG. GUYS SERIOUSLY GHANA IS GOING TO WORK AGAIN.
Thank God Ghana is working again.
Nana Addo wo nnye keka anyo,na mmom ose ade3 yo. God bless Nana Addo, Bawumia, NPP and Ghana as a whole.