More than 13,000 Ghana Cards remain uncollected in Ketu South
More than 13,000 printed Ghana Cards are waiting to be collected by applicants in the Ketu South office of the National Identification Authority (NIA), the Ghana News Agency has learnt.
The number, which stood at 13,315 as at the end of June 2022, included those for applicants, who registered since the roll-out of the exercise in 2019 till the setting up of the office in the Municipality on November 3, 2021.
Mrs Elsie Dowokpor, officer in charge, Ketu South NIA during told the GNA that the Municipal office within the period of its establishment till June 2022, enrolled a total of 6,965 applicants out of which it printed 4,844 cards and issued a total of 10,746 cards with the outstanding number yet to be collected being 13,315.
She acknowledged some challenges including the miss up of the cards in boxes and at different districts making it difficult for some applicants to get their cards resulting in the pile up.
Mrs Doworkpor said her office had claimed cards of applicants in the Municipality from other places and brought them to her office and so people should come over for their cards, which has now become an important document in the country.
“The challenge now is that most applicants are no longer coming for their cards. It is possible they might have come a couple of times and could not get it and so they are tired. But I want to assure them that we have sorted everything so let them come.
“And again, new enrollment is ongoing but the challenge with that is we are unable to readily print the cards because of the unavailability of blank cards. So, you come, we get you enrolled, you go back and when the cards are later printed, we call you to come back for it.”
Some applicants in an interview bemoaned the delays and long hours they had to wait to either get to pick their cards or get registered.
Madam Aisha Suleiman who was reporting at the office for the third time for her card said she registered in 2019 and hoped that would be her last visit to the office.
“I came here around 8 o’clock to pick up my card but I must wait till it is 2pm because that is when they will start seeing to those of us here for the cards. The one who issues the card is also part of the registration team so he must take a break from there to see to us. The office needs more staff to prevent the delays and long waits which mostly lead to fights and quarrels among applicants.”
Another applicant, Madam Paulina Fiadzorgbe said: “I was among the first batch to register for the card, and I have a strong belief that today, my fourth attempt at getting the card won’t be in vain.”
Source: GNA