CUTS Ghana criticizes the EC's attempt to compile a new registry before the completion of the NIA

General News of Sunday, March 31, 2019

Source: Appiah Kusi Adomako

2019-03-31

CUTS Ghana, a think tank on research and advocacy policies calls on the Electoral Commission (EC) to reconsider its decision to establish a new registry regardless of the National Identification Authority's database ( NIA).

Addressing a representative group of the press, CUTS Ghana's national director, Mr. Appiah Kusi Adomako, said: "Although the constitutional and statutory mandate of the constitution of an electoral register in the country the exclusive jurisdiction of the EC, the Commission must be reasonable and practical. in light of what can be learned from the NIA database. Although the work of the NIA is still ongoing, it should be completed by March 2020. The good thing about the Ghana Card is that it captures a lot of information, including digital addresses, that the EC and its IT department can extract all the necessary information. an exhibition for people wishing to change polling stations.

"In 2012, the compilation of the biometric voter registration had cost the nation an amount of 148,942,378 GH ¢. Fast forward to 2020, given the increase in the number of voters and the 2012 cost adjustment to cedi inflation and depreciation, a conservative estimate could move the proposed registry to 2020 to 350 million cedis Ghana, "he added.

Given the huge investment and fun that surrounds the Ghana Card, there is concern that the EC is rushing to use its own registry for the 2020 elections before the completion of Ghana Card. That same week, the NIA received sixty-two (62) vehicles, sixty (60) motorcycles and two (2) generators to facilitate the registration and issuance of national ID cards nationwide.

He added that in order to "ease the burden of transporting several agencies and departments to issue identity cards and create a functional database on national identity, the National Authority of Japan", said Identification (NIA) was created to give effect. In the past, there had been numerous attempts to create a national database and issue identity cards, which had resulted in hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars bleeding. However, in September 2017, President Nana Addo launched the launch and issue of a national identity card commonly known as the "Ghana Map". The Ghana map project is expected to cost taxpayers about $ 1.2 billion over the long term. "

CUTS Ghana is concerned that a country with limited resources should not be perceived as dissipating taxpayers' money at the expense of unnecessary projects. The estimated cost of the new voters list, if it is removed, can do a lot for a country bailed out after the IMF. The money can be used to build 15 turnkey district hospitals with outpatient services, theaters, an auxiliary clinical unit, an accident and emergency unit, maternity, mortuary, stores and staff quarters, including 1,500 cogeneration compounds. In the field of education, it can build 1,250 blocks of clbadrooms of six units across the country.

It is instructive to note that the NIA has a technical committee consisting of a number of statutory public service institutions involved in the issuance of identity cards or interested in the management of data. These include the Social Security and Social Security Fund (SSNIT), the DVLA, the Electoral Commission, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Register of Births and Deaths, and many others. Again, why is the EC in a hurry?