Last week the Minister for Communications and Digitalization extended the date for the SIM card registration. This came about after many pleas to get the deadline extended. The deadline is now extended to September 30, 2022. However, all those who haven’t registered by August ending will lose certain services. One of the reasons why many are yet to register is their inability to acquire their Ghana cards.
The Ghana cards are the only form of identity to successfully link the SIM to the person and subsequently carry on with the in person registration at the telco office. As the National Identification Authority and Communications Minister find a middle ground, the Electoral Commission has also brought up an intriguing issue.
In a report laid before the Parliamentary and Constitutional Committee of Parliament, the EC seeks to make the Ghana Card the only form of identity card for new voters to be registered. However, the opposition NDC feel this new move can disenfranchise a lot of Ghanaians. On TV3’s The Keypoints today, Saturday, August 6, 2022 Murtala Mohammed noted that no one was debating that the Ghana card should not be used as a means but to make it the sole means was arbitrary.
He mentioned that the C.I will not be laid before Parliament. He boldly stated that until the EC amends the CI there was no way his side of the committee will approve on it. Murtala queries why the passport and birth certificate can be used to register for the Ghana card and yet those 2 documents cannot be used to register for a voters’ ID.
“It won’t be laid. It won’t be laid in this form. We will do everything humanly possible to prevent it for being laid in this for. So the EC should do something about it” Murtala Mohammed said. It will be interesting to see what happens next when Parliament resumes and the committee sits on the report from the EC. Any CI rejected at the committee level is unlikely to be presented before the House for debate.
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