Why some NIA centres are telling applicants there are no ID application forms

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has discounted claims by some of its registration officers that there are no National Identity Card Application Forms or Oath of Identity Forms at some registration centres.

In a press statement issued by Francis Palmdeti, the Head of Corporate Affairs, the NIA said it has come to its attention that some prospective applicants are being turned away even though the centres have enough of those forms in stock.

It said any contrary claim by an NIA registration official is "untrue, and may be a pretext to justifying improper conduct such as extortion of monies from desperate applicants at that registration centre."

"Claims of shortage of forms at a registration centre can only be artificial or pretextual, and constitutes misinformation of the public and unfair treatment of prospective applicants."

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Below is a copy of the full statement 

22nd May 2019
For immediate release

PRESS RELEASE

NIA REGISTRATION FORMS

It has come to the attention of Management of the National Identification Authority (NIA) that, prospective applicants at some NIA registration centres are being told that there are no National Identity Card Application Forms or Oath of Identity Forms at those centres.

The result is that prospective applicants are turned away even though the centres have enough of those forms in stock.

In this regard, NIA wishes to inform the general public as follows:

1. NIA has over 30 million forms in stock and supplies adequate numbers to each Registration Centre ahead of the exercise each working day;

2. There are enough forms to register every Ghanaian at home and abroad as NIA is by law required to do;

3. Adequate measures have been instituted to ensure the efficient supply and safe custody of the Application Forms and Oath of Identity Forms.

Any contrary claim by an NIA registration official is untrue, and may be a pretext to justifying improper conduct such as extortion of monies from desperate applicants at that registration centre;

4. Claims of shortage of forms at a registration centre can only be artificial or pretextual, and constitutes misinformation of the public and unfair treatment of prospective applicants.

Such conduct also brings the name of the NIA into disrepute.

Accordingly, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against NIA officials found to be implicated in such conduct. Members of the public are respectfully urged to report any instance of extortion, bribery, corruption or other criminal or improper conduct to the Police;

5. Each Coordinating Registration Officer (CRO) of NIA is trained and instructed to ensure that stock levels of consumables, including Application Forms and Oath of Identity Forms, are adequate at the centre before and after registration on a daily basis.

When stocks are running low, it is the duty of the CRO to inform the District Registration Officer (DRO) who then ensures that dwindling stocks are replenished in a timely manner;

6. The Mass Registration exercise is the first step the law prescribes to have the national identity register populated. At the conclusion of the mass registration exercise NIA will set up permanent Regional and District offices to continue registering Ghanaians.

7. The continuous registration phase is also free of charge to all applicants who will be registering for the first time.

8. On average, a registration centre can only register a maximum of 120 applicants per day based on such considerations as number of Mobile Registration Workstations (MRW) at each centre (3), the population size and the hours of work for each day (8:00am – 5:00pm);

9. The CROs have been instructed to inform prospective applicants about this fact. Therefore, applicants who are unable to register because of the ceiling will have to come another day; and

10. The NIA wishes to assure the general public that it will register and issue the Ghana Cards to all Ghanaians either during the mass registration exercise or during the continuous registration phase, and respectfully entreats every Ghanaian to cooperate with it.

SGND: ACI FRANCIS PALMDETI
HEAD, CORPORATE AFFAIRS, NIA