The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the reopening of its district registration offices in the Volta Region. This move is aimed at reducing the congestion at premium registration centers.
According to the Head of Corporate Affairs at the NIA, Williams Ampomah Dallas, the closure of district offices had placed immense pressure on the premium centers, causing delays in the issuance of the Ghana Card.
As part of efforts to clear the backlog, the NIA has delivered 33,707 printed Ghana Cards to the Volta Region. These cards belong to applicants who registered in 2023 but were unable to receive their cards due to operational challenges.
The Volta Region, like many other parts of the country, had witnessed massive delays in the issuance of the Ghana Card, forcing applicants to travel long distances to premium centers, only to face further delays.
Ampomah Dallas highlighted the challenges posed by the closure of district offices, stating;
“The closure of operations at the district offices has put a strain on the overall effectiveness of the NIA, particularly at its premium centers. Applicants had to travel long distances to access registration services, but even at these centers, many were unable to receive their cards due to high congestion.”
Williams Ampomah Dallas Head of Corporate Affairs at the NIA
The NIA official also announced that the authority had secured 19,500 blank cards, which would be distributed across the 18 districts in the Volta Region. Each district is expected to receive at least 1,000 blank cards to resume full-scale operations.
Due to the difficulty, many people had been unable to obtain their Ghana Cards, significantly affecting their ability to conduct essential transactions.
The lack of blank cards at the district offices led to a complete halt in their operations, worsening the backlog situation. However, the new Executive Secretary of the NIA has taken proactive measures to acquire blank cards and resume district-level registration.
The reopening of district offices is expected to bring relief to both applicants and the NIA. With full operational capacity restored, residents of the Volta Region will no longer have to endure long and expensive journeys to premium centers to obtain their Ghana Cards.
“We are assuring the public that from next week, specifically Wednesday, every applicant who registered in 2023 but was unable to get his or her card can walk into all the 18 districts in the Volta Region and pick their cards.”
Williams Ampomah Dallas Head of Corporate Affairs at the NIA
The decentralization of Ghana Card issuance will also ease congestion at premium registration centers. Previously, many applicants who needed the Ghana Card for business transactions, banking, or SIM card registration had no choice but to visit premium centers.
“With the districts coming into full operation, it will help us to decongest the premium centers so that each applicant that moves in—whether to the premium center or the district office—will be able to be served within time.”
Williams Ampomah Dallas Head of Corporate Affairs at the NIA
Volta Regional Minister Commends NIA’s Efforts
The Volta Regional Minister, Hon. James Gunu, welcomed the reopening of the district offices and the distribution of the backlog of Ghana Cards.
“The region has gone through a lot of difficulties and challenges during the registration processes up to the printing. I am not surprised that many people couldn’t even go for their cards because what they went through before the registration was very demotivating.”
Hon. James Gunu Volta Regional Minister
To ensure that all eligible applicants are informed about the card distribution and the reopening of district offices, the minister emphasized the need for a strong public awareness campaign.
“We will correct all these things and use the Information Services Department, NCCE, and the media to get the information to the applicants so that they can go to the district offices to collect their cards. Those who still desire to get the Ghana Card can now go to the district offices and pick their cards.”
Hon. James Gunu Volta Regional Minister
The reopening of NIA district offices in the Volta Region marks a significant step toward improving the efficiency of Ghana Card registration and issuance.
The intervention is expected to ease congestion at premium centers, making it easier and faster for citizens to acquire their Ghana Cards.
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