Head of Corporate Affairs for NIA, ACI Francis Palmdeti
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has responded to a report on social media that seems to suggests that a Togolese national has ‘fraudulently’ acquired the Ghana Card.
According to NIA, the said card was genuine.
NIA in a statement signed by its Head of Corporate Affairs, ACI Francis Palmdeti, said it “has seen on social media, a picture of a Ghana Card placed alongside a Togo National ID card, both bearing the personal details of one Wilfried Amenovideto.”
It said “some of the commentaries on the said ID card images suggest that the individual is a Togolese and therefore not eligible to be issued with a Ghana Card as a Ghanaian citizen.”
“The NIA wishes to put the following facts on record for the attention of the general public: the Ghana Card bearing the name of Wilfried Amenovideto is genuine; in support of his application for the Ghana Card, Mr. W. Amenovideto submitted a Birth Certificate issued by the Births and Deaths Registry on 26th January 2018 at Aflao, with the nationality of both parents indicated on the said birth certificate as Ghanaian,” the statement noted.
It added that “a person who is a citizen of Ghana and a citizen of another country is entitled to apply for, and be issued with, the Ghana Card; a citizen of another country may subsequently become a Ghanaian citizen after going
through the requisite process of Naturalisation or Registration as provided for by law.”
Also, it said, “there are many foreigners living in Ghana who, through the Ministry for the Interior, have obtained Ghanaian citizenship either through Registration or Naturalization; and NIA is conducting an investigation to determine whether any person or persons have violated any applicable law in the issuance of a Ghana Card to the said Wilfried Amenovideto.
“The NIA wishes to assure the general public that it takes very seriously, concerns or allegations of fraudulent acquisition of the Ghana Card meant for citizens by persons who are not Ghanaians. Accordingly, the NIA is currently assisting the Ghana Police to investigate several such cases.”
The prosecution of crime is not limited by time therefore any person found to have breached any relevant legal provision will be duly prosecuted, it disclosed.
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