The National Identification Authority (NIA) says its attention has been drawn to a letter circulating on social media with the caption: “RE: SIM REGISTRATION EXERCISE – BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION VIA NCA ANDROID REGISTRATION APPLICATION”. The NIA notes that various meanings, interpretations, intentions and motives have been assigned to the said letter, resulting in concern, confusion and strident criticism.
The NIA wishes to clarify the situation and set the record straight. Accordingly, NIA states as follows: 1. The substantive contents of the document in circulation reflect an authentic official letter written and signed by the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah.
A copy of the original letter, without any obliterations, blotting or cancellations, unlike the document in circulation, is attached for easy reference. 2. Dated 13th September 2021 with Ref. No. NIA-R/OBI/V7/682, the said NIA letter was written in response to a letter to NIA by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT), Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey.
The said GCT letter under the same caption was dated 3rd September 2021 and received at NIA on 7th September 2021. A copy of the GCT letter is attached for easy reference. 3. In the GCT letter of 3rd September 2021 with Ref. No. GCT/NIA/21/1073, Dr. Ashigbey sought three specific technical clarifications from NIA on the potential interface between the National Identification System (NIS) and the planned SIM registration exercise scheduled to commence on 1st October 2021. 4. In NIA’s response of 13th September 2021, the Executive Secretary of NIA addressed himself solely to the technical questions posed by the GCT; 2 5.
The NIA stands by every statement contained in its response letter of 13th September 2021 as being technically factual, accurate, correct and honest. The letter was duly copied to the Hon. Minister for the Interior who is the Minister responsible for the NIS, the Hon. Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, and the Executive Chairman of Identity Management Systems II Limited (IMS II); 6. The NIA fully supports SIM card registration in the country and does not in any way contest the mandate of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization (MoCD) or the National Communication Authority (NCA) to implement SIM card registration in accordance with law. Indeed, NIA has fully co-operated, in good faith and to the best of its abilities, with the MoCD and the NCA; 7. For the avoidance of doubt, NIA reiterates its ardent support for SIM card registration in this country as an important Government policy.
The NIA greatly values inter-agency co-operation and collaboration for the attainment of Government’s development policies and programs. To this end, it has successfully co-operated, within the framework of the law and public policy, with other user agencies such as SSNIT, NHIA, GRA and the Controller & Accountant-General’s Department in advancing data harmonization and integration in this country, and will continue to do so with the NCA and other state institutions.
Evidently, the leaked letter of 13th September 2021 currently in circulation was written more than four months ago and should not be seen as having been written in January 2022; it should also not be construed as constituting an attack on the importance of the on-going SIM card registration exercise. It is regrettable that official correspondence between two institutions would be leaked and used for improper purposes. The NIA condemns such conduct which undermines public trust and dissipates the energies of public officials who have to address same. SIGNED ABUDU ABDUL-GANIYU AG. HEAD, CORPORATE AFFAIRS
