In a rather bizarre U-turn, the National Identification Authority (NIA) has suspended indefinitely its controversial plan to continue massing up citizens national Identification Cards despite the raging deadly and highly contagious Covid-19 coronavirus and the ban on public gathering.
This decision by the NIA to suspend the registration is despite the fact that a few hours earlier, the Accra High Court had ruled that it was entitled to continue with its work of registering Ghanaians.
The Court of Appeal judge Anthony Oppong in his ruling held that the application for an injunction against the irksome registration exercise was baseless.
However, a few hours after receiving this favourable ruling, the NIA suddenly developed cold feet and issued a statement conceding to public anger against its continued registration exercise.
A statement written today March 27, 2020, by Francis Palmdeti, the Head, Corporate Affairs for NIA read: “The National Identification Authority (NIA) announces the indefinite suspension of the mass registration exercise in the Eastern Region until further notice…The decision to suspend the registration follows a careful assessment of the exercise in the region so far. It also takes into account the current trend in the spread of COVID-19 in Ghana….”
The statement continued: “The NIA welcomes the dismissal by the High Court of the interlocutory injunction application and the substantive suit. Nonetheless, NIA will continue to suspend its mass registration operations in the Eastern Region until further notice. NIA will use the period of suspension to continue with its preparations toward the establishment of its Regional, Municipal and District Offices.”
Two citizens Mark Oliver Kevor and Emmanuel Okrah had filed a case in court asking that the NIA be stopped from carrying out its registration exercise. However, the Attorney General’s Department had put up a passionate argument against the suspension of the exercise saying it will cause “irremediable harm” to Ghanaians yearning for their ID cards.
The NIA and the A-G had won the court over with their argument, despite warnings from experts that such mass gatherings will escalate the spread the deadly coronavirus disease in Ghana.
The registration was also in direct contravention of orders given by President Akufo Addo for social distancing and the banning of all forms of mass gatherings in a bid to contain the virus that has killed four Ghanaians and has infected 136 other in less than two weeks.
The two plaintiffs in the case issued a statement today saying they had gone to court because they wanted to protect themselves and the public from the eminent risks of the deadly COVID-19 infections “ with an understanding that the President of Ghana was oblivious of the activities of the National Identification Authority in the Region.”
The described the NIA’s insistent on registration as reckless and said they were surprised that President Akufo Addo was conniving with the NIA and was not “sincere “ about his fight against Covid-19.
“Our resolve was further emboldened when we learnt that, indeed, the President told the clergy who had breakfast prayers with him, that he was unaware the danger the NIA was exposing the Public in the Eastern Region to,” the two stated.
“We are however surprised, that the Attorney General, the official Counsel to the President, and Lawyers from Akufo-Addo and Prempeh Chambers, the President’s Legal Firm put up a spirited defence in court, of the reckless actions of the NIA … This exposes the President of the republic, Nana Akufo-Addo as insincere and only acting up for the Public and the international community to see him as being serious about the fight against COVID-19.”