Speaking at one of such programmes at Dodo-Pepesu in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region, the Kadjebi District Director of the NCCE, Mr Daniel Agbesi Latsu, urged the citizenry to turnout and register for the Ghana Card since its usage and benefits could not be under-estimated.

He said the exercise was meant for only Ghanaians aged 15 years and above and that the primary requirement for registration was a birth certificate, valid passport or evidence of acquired citizenship, adding that the use of someone’s birth certificate for registration was illegal and a punishable offence.

Documents required

Mr Latsu said applicants with documents or ID cards such as the NHIS, SSNIT, DVLA (licence), Tax (TIN) and voter ID card could bring them along for harmonisation of data.

He said a relative issued with a Ghana Card could vouch for an applicant who did not have a birth certificate, valid passport or evidence of acquired citizenship to prove his or her identity.

Mr Latsu explained that where there was no relative to vouch for the applicant, then two persons who were licensed professionals such as a lawyer, nurse, magistrate, judge, MPs, pastor, chief, an assembly member, a unit committee member, among others who had already registered and been issued with the Ghana Card could vouch for the applicant under oath.

Mr Latsu said the card, which identified them as Ghanaians and was valid for 10 years, served as basic independent identification and verification to ease travelling within the ECOWAS sub-region because it also was a biometric passport which could be used to access social services such as the Livelihood

Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) payment, be used during a job search, in the realisation of socio-economic rights and also create greater economic opportunities for its holders.

Caution against mad rush

He also cautioned against a mad rush for the card since the exercise was not a one-off event.

An assistant Civic Education Officer of the NCCE, Mr Gabriel Kwame Dzanka, advised the participants not to allow foreigners to register for the Ghana Card and get into the country’s national identification system.

Mr Dzanka urged them to use their own personal digital address numbers but not the address of others.

He also urged the participants not to register twice since it was an offence.
Similar programmes were held at Kadjebi, Olombobi, Dodo-Dompa, Dodo-Tamale, Dodo-Amanfrom, Titiaka, Sabram, Kpalime Kofe, Yadzo, among others.