REVEALED: Lawyers From Akufo Addo’s Chamber Behind NIA’s Suicidal Registration Exercise

Whatsup News can confirm that the lawyers representing National Identification Authority (NIA)  to fight for it to continue mass registration exercise for the Ghana Card amidst Covid-19 scare are from the law chambers of founded by President Akufo Addo.

The Lawyer for the NIA IS Kwaku Essilfie who practices from the Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co. On the Kojo Thompson Road in Adabraka-Accra. The law firm was founded by President Akufo Addo and many of the lawyers in the firm are still loyal to him.

Kwaku Essilfie was the lawyer who today filed an appearance for the NIA in partnership with the Attorney General’s Department as they argue passionately for the court to grant the NIA the right to convene masses of people to register for the National Identification card (Ghana card), despite warnings from experts that such mass gatherings will spread the deadly coronavirus rapidly.

Indeed the potential danger of the virus’ spread through such mass gatherings was the fundamental reason why President Akufo Addo issued a directive against mass gatherings exceeding 25 people.

However, the AG and the NIA are arguing that it will be an “irremediable harm” for the court to stop the NIA from its highly criticised plan to continue Ghana Card registration despite the prevailing restrictions on public gathering in Ghana.

Some event organisers and church pastors have been arrested for defying the directive.

However, the complex relationship between the AG and lawyers from the President’s own law chamber in their argument to allow the NIA mass up people has forced critics to surmise that the Akufo Addo administration may not be showing full sincerity and commitment in its fight to contain the ravaging Covid-19 disease.

An Accra High Court today granted a request by the Deputy Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame to have it hear an injunction case against the National Identification Authority (NIA) earlier than usual.

The case was slated to be heard on April 9, however, under an unexplained circumstance, the court was to move the date to Friday, March 27, 2020, for the case to be heard.

In the confusion caused by the NIA’s defiance against the restrictions on public gathering, two citizens, Mark Oliver Kevor and Emmanuel Okrah had filed a case in court asking that the NIA be stopped from its ongoing registration exercise.

According to the two, the NIA’s stance contradicts the social distancing directives issued by President Akufo-Addo in the wake of the Covid-19 cases recorded in Ghana.

A different division of the High Court presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah on March 23 granted a similar request filed by businessman Prince Tabi and 29 others.

This injunction is to be in force for the next 10 days since March 23.