The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has commended the government for extending the deadline for sim card registration across the country.
Ghanaians have up to 30 September 2022 to register their sim cards else they will be blocked. The aim is to build a credible and safe sim database in Ghana.
Reacting to the news, the opposition lawmaker said the challenges confronting the issuance of the Ghana Card, the main requirement for the sim registration exercise must be addressed.
“I commend government for extending the deadline for the sim card re-registration exercise,” Ablakwa tweeted on Sunday. “It’s now time to immediately fix the avoidable bottlenecks with Ghana Card issuance and the needless ID rigidity.”
“With adequate consultation, it’s possible to end the stress and chaos,” the former deputy minister of education added.
I commend government for extending the deadline for the SIM card re-registration exercise.
It’s now time to immediately fix the avoidable bottlenecks with Ghana Card issuance and the needless ID rigidity.
With adequate consultation, it’s possible to end the stress and chaos.
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) July 31, 2022
No sabotage
Meanwhile, the Executive secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Prof Kenneth Attafuah, has denied claims suggesting that the authority is intentionally frustrating some communities in registering and accessing their Ghana Cards.
Earlier reports had suggested that some communities including Adaklu in the Volta Region are being frustrated in their attempt to register and access the national cards.
Reacting to the development on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (1 August), Attafuah said: “We have never and will never disadvantage people by not providing them with the Ghana Card, which is something they have a right to.”
“It is an unfortunate implication for somebody to purport that the NIA is doing something to frustrate a specific community; nobody stands to gain if our citizens don’t get the cards.
“It is clear that without the Ghana Card, our revenue mobilisation will be hamstrung. So, why then would we want to disadvantage a specific people when the nation will suffer in turn?” Attafuah asked.
