John Mahama, a former president, claims that the Ghana card is being used as a political weapon. This, he claimed, is due to signs that it would be utilised in the approaching presidential election.
"...the Electoral Commission, which, rather than making it simple for our residents to participate in elections, prefers to make it challenging. Through a misplaced emphasis on using the Ghana card as the only means of identity for a voter card, they are intent to ensure the disenfranchised of portions of our community at any costs. How do you go about doing this given that not everyone qualifies for a Ghana Card?
The Ghana Card, a relatively recent addition to our way of life, offers certain advantages overall. Currently, it is being used more as a political weapon around which other election-related programmes are being created, according to Mr. Mahama.
"There is a need to provide ample time for its complete integration into our way of life before this type of detrimental exclusion of all other properly obtained, reliable, and time-tested forms of identity is applied," he recommended.
Speaking on Sunday at the Minority Group retreat, Mr. Mahama said that "the rush on the part of the Electoral Commission to prohibit all other methods of identification is thus manifestly obscene and inspired by an ulterior motive."
Although "the writers of the 1992 constitution intended that a number of these institutions complement the work of the Legislature to ensure effective governance," the present administration's approach has been to control and enslave these institutions for political and parochial advantage, he said.
He asserted that "these institutions have therefore evolved into docile instruments for the advancement of the political aims of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President Akufo-Addo."
"The National Identification Authority cannot claim to have covered every Ghanaian who should be registered or issued all the printed cards to those who have been caught in their system," Mr. Mahama stated. The hundreds of thousands of cards that were supposed to be distributed to registered users never happened.
"Space must be created for individuals who have not yet been served to exercise their democratic rights of voting until full and comprehensive coverage is achieved in the roll out of the Ghana Card. They cannot be taken off the voter list for no fault of their own. This ought to be obvious and simple to understand, he said.