Why the NIA has postponed mass Ghana Card distribution exercise

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has postponed its mass distribution of Ghana Cards across all 16 regions of the country.

Last week, the NIA announced that it would from Monday, June 8, 2020, distribute over three million printed Ghana cards to applicants across the country.

The exercise, according to the authority, is to make available the cards in time to enable Ghanaians to use them in the upcoming voter’s registration exercise.

However, the date for the mass distribution exercise has been postponed from June 8 to Wednesday, June 10.

The authority in a statement explained that postponement was to enable them to provide enough PPE to its officials at all registration centres.

“The National Identification Authority (NIA) announces for the information of the general public that its Ghana Card Issuance Exercise scheduled to begin today, Monday 8th June 2020 scheduled to take place in all 16 regions concurrently has been rescheduled to Wednesday, 10th June to enable the NIA to complete the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) to registration centres,” the statement read.

It further apologised for the inconvenience caused because of the postponement.

The NIA is expected to distribute some 3,875,441 printed cards to applicants at 5,635 registration centres.

It expects 11,062,850 Ghanaians to have the Ghana Card in time for the Electoral Commission’s (EC) compilation of a new voter register as the EC plans to make the Ghana Card and the passports the only valid identification for registering to vote.