The Minority in Parliament has threatened to embark on a demonstration to protest the National Identification Authority’s decision to only accept passports and birth certificates as valid identification forms for the registration and instant issuance of the Ghana Card.
According to the Minority Spokesperson for Communications, Alhaji A. B. A. Fuseini, they are not in support of the NIA's quest because over 70 percent of Ghanaians could be denied the Ghana Card if the Authority goes ahead with its directive.
“We are talking about a population of about 30 million Ghanaians today. But you are doing an exercise in which only 7 million people, at best, in the widest possible participation [will be included].â€
“Twenty-Three million people will be excluded. They will be deliberate, as a matter of conscious policy, be left out of the exercise. How can you call that a national exercise?â€, he queried.
Alhaji Fusseini added that the National Democratic Congress minority is prepared to hit the streets and demonstrate if that's what it will take for there to be a change.
“We in the minority have indicated that we are prepared to use constitutional and legal means, and if possible, we will go on the streets,†he stressed.
This comes after the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) recently advised the NIA to accept the use of voter ID cards in addition to passports and birth certificates, in registering for the Ghana Card.
The Minority planned to boycott the registration exercise for Members of Parliament for the issuance of the Ghana Card on Monday June 11, however, NIA officials failed to show up to begin the process.
The Minority will also hold a press conference in parliament today [Tuesday] over issues relating to the roll-out of the Ghana Card by the NIA.
Meanwhile, officials of the NIA are expected later on Tuesday in Parliament to brief the House on their plans for the nationwide roll-out of the Ghana card registration.
It is yet unclear if the planned registration exercise for MPs and Parliamentary staff would begin as scheduled.