The applicants at the Tema West Municipal of the National Identification Authority have yet to collect a total of 4,648 National Identification Cards, accounting for 35.58 percent of the cards generated (NIA).
Ms. Constance Pokua Osei, Director of the Tema West NIA, revealed this during the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA) General Assembly, saying that out of a total of 13,442 cards made for the region, 8,749 had been distributed, with 4,648 or 35.58 percent remaining to be collected.
Ms. Osei further stated that 3,931 students enrolled between November 2021 and May 27, 2022. Residents stopped going for their printed cards when the deadline for registration of all sim cards with the Ghana Card was extended to July, she said, adding that just about 20 people go for their cards every day, whereas an average of 15 people go for registration.
She went on to say that it had also resulted in low enrolment since the long lines that had previously been witnessed at the office had evaporated, with personnel almost praying that things would improve on a daily basis.
"Now there is no line; individuals simply come in and their data is recorded in seconds; sometimes there are as few as ten persons available to receive their cards in the morning."
"We still have over 4,000 cards to distribute, and they are simply not arriving." "I understand their frustration; I've been to the office several times and the cards have yet to arrive," she explained.
As a result, she appealed with Assembly Members to let their constituents know that the cards were available.
Other hurdles, according to Ms. Osei, include finding larger office space and employees, as their current location is inadequate.
She said there were just four staff members, which she claimed was insufficient, and she requested that some National Service Personnel be sent to the office.
Meanwhile, Tema West Assembly Members have voiced concerns over the behaviour of several NIA personnel in the municipality, claiming that their customer interactions were bad.
Assemblyman for Sakumono Electoral Area and Chairman of the Tema West New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwesi Poku Bosompem, characterized the personnel at the NIA office as unpleasant.
Mr. Bosompem, a former Presiding Member of the Assembly, stated that the office's personnel and contract workers needed to be re-oriented and taught customer service skills in order to better interact to the general public.
Mr. Henry Ubor, Assemblyman for Klagon, said he has gone to the NIA office several times to observe the line of Klagon citizens waiting to register, and he can attest to the quality of their services.
"If the NIA Tema West Director was reporting to them that people were not going for their cards, it was not accurate since the majority of individuals were turned away," Mr. Ubor added. It's not that people aren't interested in the cards; rather, they have rejected them since they are turned away whenever they queue."