NIA suspends mass registration following court injunction

It follows an interlocutory injunction application filed at an Accra High Court by two Ghanaians--Emmanuel Akumatey and Kevor Mark-Oliver.

NIA suspends mass registration following court injunction Pulse Ghana

The plaintiffs argue in their writ that the continuous registration and issuance of the Ghana card in the Eastern Region has a strong tendency in “aggravating the spread of the coronavirus.”

They are of the view that “the 1st Respondent’s continuous registration and issuance of the Ghana card violates the Applicants’ right to good health since the registration exercise exposes Applicants to a high risk of contracting the coronavirus.”

“That the 1st Respondent’s continuous registration and issuance of the Ghana card violate the presidential directives. That the 1st Respondent’s continuous registration and issuance of the Ghana card violate the Imposition of Restrictions Bill, 2020,” excerpts of the writ said.

In an internal memo to the staff, the NIA said the suspension of the registration exercise takes effect from Saturday, March 21, 2020 until the application is heard by the court.

“All staff are required to report for work and render proper accounting of registration equipment, materials and consumables in their custody to the Senior Registration Officers (SROs) with immediate effect”, the memo reportedly stated.