After the opposition National Democratic Congress had soaked the grounds with vile propaganda against the rollout of the Ghana Card, particularly as the source of identity for one’s right to register to vote, it is emerging that talks had been going on in Parliament since July, this year, in respect of that critical national exercise.
According to the National Identification Authority (NIA) chief, on two occasions, they had engaged the Minority and relevant committees which matter in the House over the critical matter as a national policy aimed at injecting sanity in public life and business.
That is beside the fact that the former NDC administration under Prof JEA Mills enacted a framework to that effect.
The brouhaha, therefore, about the NIA, EC and the Ministry of Communications holding the cards close to their chests for purposes of mischief has proven to be a huge lie the NDC is trumpeting across constituencies, using any available platform.
Communication gap
It is strange, however, that the Majority in Parliament, including the relevant committee heads, had also failed to vehemently state the fact that the House was already engaging the state actors on the matter, thus allowing the NDC propaganda to fester.
It appeared that similar mischief had also played out in the engagement over the E-Levy, with the Majority not thoroughly apprising their constituencies on the ground about the true level of consensus. That included the fact that when the Legislature was close to a bipartisan decision, it was the long hands of NDC party goons that undermined the strides that had been made.
‘Stubborn Academy’
To give that propaganda venomous bite, they had enrolled huge segments of their ignorant grassroots into a ‘Stubborn Academy’, and armed them with “borborbor and kenka lyrics” that would be assailing the sanctity of our airwaves.
Again, it appears that but for the statement from the NIA boss about those two engagements on the matter on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show, the NDC would still be having a field day trumpeting lack of consensus on the part of the EC, NIA and the Ministry of Communications and a so-called grand plot by government to rig the 2024 elections.
Still time to engage
From the weekend till the mid-week, the worry of the public and civil society had been consensus, engagement, mandate and deliverability.
With the NIA having committed itself to delivering on its mandate, and with Parliament as the body that will take the ultimate decision, the onus rests on all Ghanaians to ignore the rave and rant of the NDC, led by Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
As is becoming clearer, those leading the notorious Academy are decent people who have elected, for mercenary reasons, to sound mischievous and clownish.
Still time to deliver
Thankfully, we have the assurance from the NIA that it is possible to get its staff to break their backs to deliver by the close of year.
To attain that goal, the NIA has moved into districts and constituencies to roll out its programmes.
With the TELCOS supporting in neighbourhoods and markets and along streets, all we can do as responsible citizens is to find the time and go through the processes.
As for engagement with civil society and within the Legislature, we are now assured that, notwithstanding the lies, it is ongoing in rolling out credible and transparent processes that will ultimately deliver holistic development.
Let it not be said that, in Ghana, books allow just anybody to read them. Education is self-development to impact people and communities.
