The member of parliament for Ningo Prampram. Sam George has questioned vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to embark on foreign trip using Ghana card for Ghanaians to see that it indeed a travel document.
Bawumia is saying that, “People could not understand how the Ghana card could be used as a travel document and they criticized the idea but today it a reality. The diasporas should try and do the Ghana card before they leave. They can travel with it without applying for a visa at the embassy”. He said this in his speech during the launch of the E- pharmacy.
But Sam George is not happy about the vice president misinforming the public about the usage of the Ghana card. “The Ghana card is not a full travelling document yet”
Sam George stressed on this issue in an interview on an Accra based radio station. “The vice president does not understand the issues. You need to use the Ghana card as a visa if it can allow you to embark and disembark on a trip. Because the travel is only succeeded when you travel from one country to other country. Right now, when you go to Kotoka International Airport (KIA), there is no desk for Ghana card when travelling, the desk for Ghana card is for only those who are returning and it is only citizen of the country.
Sam George added that, Bawumia himself cannot travel with the Ghana card and that he is challenging him to travel with the Ghana card for us to see. Ghana card is only for internal use only. It is for those in the country.
Ghana’s attempt to issue national identity (ID) cards dates back to 1973, and a lot has happened since then, resulting in the process of issuing current generation of identity cards, which started on July 4, 2011.
In April 2019, the mass registration by the National Identification Authority (NIA) for the Ghana Card started in Accra and subsequently taken to the other parts of the country.
Since then, a combination of certain factors have delayed some qualified applicants, 16-year-olds and older, to acquire the cards.
These include systems failure, attitude of NIA workers, lack of the understanding of the usefulness of the Ghana Card and lack of any law making its acquisition obligatory or non-acquisition an offence.
Since June 28, this year, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has been replacing contributors’ unique scheme identification numbers with the Ghana Card identification numbers and the process of merging the two identification numbers will continue until December 3, this year.
Some many important transactions in the country, including the application for student loan, demand the Ghana Card.
By: Maafia Adobea Boadi
