Historian and lawyer, Anokye Frimpong has advocated a simplified system of identification where a single identity card can be used for several purposes in the country.
He bemoans the increasing number of ID cards in the country saying that the situation rather complicates things in an era where digitization is the order of the day.
His comments come at the back of the now rescinded “No Ghana card no pay” directive from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) as part of efforts to ensure a rigorous payroll service to government employees.
According to Mr. Frimpong, Ghanaians do not necessarily need separate ID cards for different public engagements.
He said “I wish to see that the ID cards have been simplified. We don’t need to have an election ID card together with the national ID card, the NHIS. I think that we can put everything now that we live in a computer era. We can put them into one system. I believe it is an issue we should all take seriously.”
The Controller and Accountant General’s Department, (CAGD) on Tuesday reversed its decision not to pay public sector employees who do not have a Ghana card.
Read also: Suspension of ‘No Ghana card, no salary’ directive welcoming – NAGRAT
The CAGD said in a statement that it had engaged the government via the Ministries of Employment and Labour Relations and Finance in response to labor union concerns.
The two Ministries have ordered the CAGD to “transfer the names of public sector employees in their current databases onto the NIA platform and subsequently notify the different institutions of any unregistered staff that may exist,” according to the communiqué.
Meanwhile, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has said that thorough diligence could have saved the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, CAGD, the backlash it faced over a directive not to pay public sector employees who do not have a Ghana card.
He said that although they appreciate the suspension, the government must involve labor extensively whenever such measures are implemented.
He also requested that the government use platforms set up for discussions with employees in the nation before making major decisions affecting workers’ welfare.
Source: Lydia Sekyi Acquah
