Economic professor, Stephen Kwaku Asare (Kwaku Azar) says the National Identification Authority’s “disregard of the health of the citizens and its employees” as it continues with the Ghana Card registration despite a ban on public gathering and misgivings from some of its officers, is an affront to the president who issued the directive and the country as a whole.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday, March 15, 2020, as part of drastic efforts to stop the spread of Coronavirus announced new public gathering advisories.
He said: “All public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events and religious activities, such as services in churches and mosques, have been suspended for the next four (4) weeks.”
The NIA afterwards released guidelines for its officers, indicating the outfit’s resolve to carry on with the registration exercise. In spite of suggestions that the protocols were impractical hence, the registration exercise be suspended, the narrative remained same.
While defending Akufo-Addo’s declarations which followed a call on the leadership of parliament to support the Executive, as the Attorney General prepares to submit to the House emergency legislation to govern the measures announced, Prof. Azar said the president’s directive is meaningless if NIA continues with the exercise.
“Most, if not all Head of States, have the power to declare an emergency. Our President is no exception and can do so by issuing a proclamation, which must be immediately submitted to Parliament for ratification in no more than 72 hours,” his Facebook post read.
“But such a proclamation is meaningless if the NIA will be allowed to continue with the registration exercise, contrary to global practice and in clear disregard of the health of the citizens and its employees.
“Yes, the ID will bring Water. Yes, the ID will guarantee Electricity. Yes, the ID will give us Toilets. But this is no time to risk lives for WET,” Prof. Azar added.
Suspend ongoing Ghana Card registration now – GMA to NIA
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is demanding an immediate suspension of the Ghana card registration in the Eastern Region.
A statement signed by the President of the GMA, Dr. Frank Ankobea noted that, “in the interest of Public Health and Safety, the GMA calls on the National Identification Authority (NIA) to suspend with immediate effect the ongoing mass registration exercise in the Eastern Region. The mass registration exercise also defeats the spirit and letter of the directives (especially on mass gathering) issued by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana as part of the measures to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.”
“It is the considered view of the GMA that these mass registration activities by the NIA if allowed to continue could create a fertile ground for potential spread of COVID-19 endangering the lives of the staff of the NIA, the communities involved and the entire nation in the process. This will undoubtedly be fatal for the country.”
NIA registration an essential service and it must go on – Minister
Meanwhile, the Eastern regional minister Eric Kwakye Daffour has justified the continuous registration exercise by the NIA despite the presidential directive, saying it is an essential service.
“In my view it is an essential service and must go on,” he told Morning Starr host Francis Abban. “It is a public gathering that can be controlled”.
Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare (Kwaku Azar)