Chief Executive Officer of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku, says significant progress has been made since he assumed office, with the backlog of unissued Ghana Cards now cleared.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Koku praised his predecessor, Professor Ken Attafuah, for laying some groundwork but stressed that a more technical background was needed for the role.
“I have always said that the NIA boss should have a technical background because it helps you focus on certain critical areas,” he said.
According to him, when he took over, only eight premium centres across the country were operational, and even those could not function effectively because there were no blank cards.
“In 2023, about 640,000 people had not received their cards even after registering, simply because there were no blank cards. At that time, government owed the private partner, so they refused to release the cards,” he explained.
Mr. Koku disclosed that he had to personally intervene to resolve the impasse.
“When I assumed office, I went to plead with them to release 700,000 cards. I assured them the debts would be settled. Thankfully, they listened and gave us the cards so we could clear the backlog,” he revealed.
He explained that the backlog printing started with Greater Accra, Volta, Oti, Northern, and Ashanti Regions.
However, to avoid delays, the NIA later distributed cards and additional blank cards to district offices nationwide to enable instant registration and issuance.
“As I speak today, if you go to any of our district offices, you will be registered and issued a Ghana Card instantly,” he announced.
Mr. Koku also clarified the fee structure for registration.
“If you are registering for the first time at our district offices, it is completely free. But if you go to any of our 15 premium centres, you will pay GH¢310,” he said.
Source: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy
ALSO READ:
- Check out countries where Ghanaians abroad can get their Ghana Card…
- NPP flagbearer race: Adutwum appoints Yaw Opoku Mensah as official spokesperson
- Being an MP is one of the toughest jobs – Felix..
