Director of Public Affairs, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr. Francis Palmdeti has said the National Identification Authority (NIA) would keep some 100 registration centres in the Volta Region for mop up after the official end of the registration exercise on August 14.
He said District Registration Officers would advise on areas to be served by the mop up centres.
“We will like to assure the people that we would not shut down fully on the 14th even as we close registration centres in the region”, Mr Palmdeti disclosed in an interview.
He said, “the NIA is here to stay, and would set up offices, or ‘co-locate’ with some agencies like the DVLA, NHIA, SSNIT etc. to continue with registrations.”
The PRO said the mass registration phase was a requirement by the law, to be followed by continuous registration.
“The Plan is to register all Ghanaians aged zero to infinity. The mass registration would capture persons 15 years and above. Children aged 14 and below would be captured next year,” he stated.
Mr Palmdeti added that the, “charge is free for all first time applicants. No charge. Not even a pesewa.”
He also said it was equally free for those unable to register during the mass registration, and that it was only the replacement of lost cards that would attract some fee.
Mr Palmdeti therefore called on the public to be patient, saying, “we will try and register as many as we can. It is not a do or die matter. There will be more opportunities for all to register.”
“Everybody should try and register. But if you are unable, the mop up would take care of that. Let’s all take advantage of the exercise,” he stated.
The Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Kenneth Kponor, also disclosed its officers had been on the ground with the needed education, stressing that the exercise was not a one off event.
