The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Ken Attafuah, has jumped to the defence of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia following the latter’s comparison of Ghana card and physical projects.
Speaking at the launch of two new high-level information technology programmes at Accra Business School at Baatson in Accra on Thursday, July 14, 2022, the Vice President said he would choose the Ghana card over 1000 interchanges as the former has a greater impact.
This sparked funny reactions from Ghanaians, who took to social media to ridicule Dr. Bawumia.
The Deputy General Secretary of NDC, Peter Boamah Otokunor also threw a jab at the Vice President while delivering his goodwill message at the New Patriotic Party’s Delegates Conference at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
He said, “When we were coming [to the Delegates Conference], I decided to buy a ball of kenkey. This ball of kenkey sells for 5 Cedis. The leaves on the kenkey alone will be 3 Cedis; more expensive than the kenkey itself. Guess what, ladies and gentlemen, I bought the kenkey with my Ghana Card.”
Responding to the reactions on the Citi Breakfast Show, the NIA Executive Secretary said, “I think that there is a bit of a misunderstanding. The Ghana card has been underappreciated. We cannot begin to quantify the level of impact the Ghana card will have on our civility.”
He supported his stance with more benefits the Ghana card presents to the country.
“By the time we have captured about 2 million people on the system, we will never have to queue to register for anything. If the EC’s plans as raised by the minority comes to fruition, we will have continuous registration just with your Ghana card. There will be no contestations about citizenship, and age.”
“SSNIT will be a cleaner place. Pension payments will be sanitised. Identity conflicts will be a thing of the past,” he noted.