Ghana card: Kufuor backs Minority's call for inclusion of Voter ID card

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has backed calls by the Minority for the Voter ID card to be added to the requirements for registration for the Ghana card.

Mr Kufuor registered for his card at his residence on Tuesday when officials from the National Identification Authority (NIA) visited him.

After the registration process, the former President made some observations including the exclusion of the voter ID card as a source document to substantiate one’s nationality as a Ghanaian.

“... if your voter ID is not incorporated, then when it comes to citizen going to make a government, where will you be? How will you say truly you also have the ‘kokromoti’ power to make or unmake a government? So voter’s ID should be part," he observed.

Mr. Kufuor also raised concerns about the time spent on registering an individual for the card.

“Almost for the past two hours, which means it could take a lot of time… when you are going to do it for over 30 million people.”

The Minority Members of Parliament have boycotted the registration for the national ID card raising concerns about the cost and exclusion of the voter ID card as a valid document to establish nationality.

Former President John Dramani Mahama has also raised the same concern.

According to him, the exclusion of the voter ID card “is a deliberate attempt to de-nationalise some of our people.”

Meanwhile, the NIA says it has been trying to engage  Mr Mahama on his concerns with the registration process.