The Authority said it came to the attention of Management of NIA that, prospective applicants at some registration centres were being told that there were no National Identity Card Application Forms or Oath of Identity Forms at those centres.

A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency and signed by Mr Francis Palmdeti, the Head, Corporate Affairs at NIA said there were enough forms in stock to register every Ghanaian at home and abroad as NIA by law required

It said the Authority made adequate measures to ensure the efficient supply and safe custody of the Application Forms and Oath of Identity Forms.

"Any contrary claim by an NIA registration official is untrue, and may be a pretext to justifying improper conduct such as extortion of monies from desperate applicants at that registration centre," it stated.

"Claims of shortage of forms at a registration centre can only be artificial or pre-textual, and constitutes misinformation of the public and unfair treatment of prospective applicants. Such conduct also brings the name of the NIA into disrepute."

The statement said the NIA would take appropriate disciplinary actions against officials found to be implicated in such conduct and urged the public to report any instance of extortion, bribery, corruption or other criminal or improper conduct to the Police.

It noted that each Coordinating Registration Officer (CRO) of NIA had been trained and instructed to ensure that stock levels of consumables, including Application Forms and Oath of Identity Forms, were adequate at the centre before and after registration on a daily basis.

"When stocks are running low, it is the duty of the CRO to inform the District Registration Officer (DRO) who then ensures that dwindling stocks are replenished in a timely manner," it added.

The statement said the Mass Registration exercise was the first step the law prescribed to have the national identity register populated and that at the conclusion of the mass registration exercise NIA would set up permanent Regional and District offices to continue registering Ghanaians.

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GNA