Ignore ‘fake’ Ghana Cards, Minority MPs haven’t registered – Muntaka

The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, has urged Ghanaians to ignore reports that some Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) have registered for the Ghana Card.

The purported Ghana Cards circulating on social media had details of MPs like Muntaka Mubarak, [Bolga Central MP] Isaac Adongo and [Builsa North MP] James Agalga, among others.

Muntaka Mubarak told Citi News that the Ghana Cards were fake, adding that the brains behind the circulation were “shameful.”

“People who do not have shame will descend to this kind unlawful thing,” he said.

He stated that if he knew where the picture of the fake cards emanated from, the Minority would pursue legal action.

“The sad thing is that the way it is trending, you don’t know where it started for you to hold the person accountable. It would have been helpful if any of them could be courageous to say I saw it and I posted so that we can sue that person for defamation.”

The circulation is a matter of concern to the Minority because of its boycott of the registration and instant issuance of the Ghana Card by the National Identification Authority (NIA).

The Minority is against the NIA only accepting passports and birth certificates to establish citizenship for the registration.

It wants the Voters’ ID card to also be accepted as proof of citizenship.

“We have a clear stance… we are not participating until after the Supreme Court decision on the cards,” Muntaka Mubarak said.

“I want to reassure all those who believe in what we are doing that is never true. I have never registered,” he added.

The Minority MP also called on the NIA to clear the air on the matter.

“I will expect the National Identification Authority to come out to say yes we did it or no, somebody is faking.”

Court Action

The Minority is currently backing a Supreme Court to challenge against the NIA’s basis for only accepting passports and birth certificates to establish citizenship for the registration and instant issuance of the Ghana Card.

The Minority insists the NIA is wrongly interpreting the landmark 2016 judgment in the Abu Ramadan vs Electoral Commission case.

The Supreme Court ordered the Electoral Commission to expunge from the voters’ register the names of all persons who registered and voted in the 2012 elections with the National Health Insurance (NHIS) card as a proof of identity.

The judgment followed contentions that non-Ghanaians had been registered using the NHIS card.

Until the legal challenge is resolved, the Minority says it will be continuing its boycott of the process.

Source: citinewsroom.com