Ghana Card: Some Minority MP's Have 'Secretly' Registered - Majority Leader

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu says he is aware that forty (40) minority Members of Parliament have registered for the Ghana Card.

Though he was unable to mention names, he says he encountered two of them registering at the same place where he had gone for his registration.

Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, the majority leader in Parliament could not fathom why the minority members claim they will not register for the Ghana card.

"You come to tell Ghanaians that you will not register for the card but some of your members have secretly gone to do the registration and the have their cards, I personally know about two of them, but I have been informed that about 40 of them have registered already," he added.

The Minority has maintained using passports and birth certificates alone as proof of identity for acquisition of the card will de-nationalise many Ghanaians since scores in the rural areas of the country do not have either of the requirement. The minority has therefore refused to register for the cards and called on their members to also stay off.

"Majority of Ghanaians have the voter ID card and Article 42 clearly states it is only people who are Ghanaians that can vote. In other words anyone who has a voter ID card is a Ghanaian so why is NPP insisting on outlawing many Ghanaians on this. So we are saying that until a proper interpretation of Article 42 and sections of the L(I), the minority will not be part of the process and we are heading to the court. Our lawyers are working on it and you will hear from them soon," the minority claim.

Former President Backs Minority

Meanwhile, former President John Kufuor has backed calls by the Minority saying the Voter ID card must be added to the requirements for the Ghana card.

“Documents that will help identify a citizen as a citizen will be sovereign authority in him or her so if your voter ID is not incorporated . . . I think it should be added,” the former President noted when officials of the National Identification Authority went to his home to register him for the card on Tuesday.