The National Identification Authority (NIA) has indefinitely suspended the mass registration of the Ghana Card in the Eastern region, hours after winning a court case to continue with the exercise.
According to the judge, Justice Anthony Oppong, the applicants in the case have not shown any justifiable reason why the NIA should be restrained from carrying out its statutory duty as by law established.
The Court further noted that the applicants also did not demonstrate in any way what they stand to lose if the NIA continues with its work of registering Ghanaians for their Ghana Cards.
“The application for interlocutory injunction ought to fail and same is dismissed,” Justice Oppong said.
Below is the full NIA statement announcing the suspension:
NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY -INDEFINITE SUSPENSION OF MASS REGISTRATION IN THE EASTERN REGION
The National Identification Authority (NIA) announces the indefinite suspension of the mass registration exercise in the Eastern Region until further notice. This decision follows a careful assessment of the registration exercise carried out in the Eastern Region between Wednesday, 4th March 2020 and Friday, 20th March 2020.
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 since the suspension of the mass registration exercise on Saturday, 21st March 2020, following the service on the NIA of an interlocutory injunction application.
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 and arrange for the co-location of its registration services at some of its cognate institutions such as National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), among other responsibilities.
Meanwhile, NIA will continue to observe developments relating to the management of COVID-19 in Ghana and will determine, at the appropriate time, when and how to resume its mass registration operations.
SGND: ACI. FRANCIS PALMDETI, HEAD, CORPORATE AFFAIRS, NIA
Source: Daily Mail GH
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