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[ 2019-03-05 ] 
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu Minority calls for forensic audit into NIA’s $1.2bn Ghana card budget
The Minority in Parliament has demanded a forensic
audit into the activities and finances of the
National Identification Authority (NIA).
According to the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu,
the rolling out of the National Identification
Card which cost about $1.2 billion has an air of
impropriety around it.
He contended that a probe is required to enhance
transparency to find out what the funds were used
for since it is a national project.
“It has been reported that the National
Identification Card would cost the state 1.2
billion dollars. Where is the NIA getting its
finance from? That would mean that for a country
with a population of 30 million, It would cost 42
dollars per person to do an ID card. India with
its population did not do an ID card for even 20
million dollars. We are calling for a forensic
audit into the operations of the NIA and its
finances,†he said.
He also stated that there was a need to find out
whether the money used was a loan or a
public-private partnership and how much the ID
card would cost the state and taxpayer.
In May last year, the opposition National
Democratic Congress (NDC) raised concerns over the
supposed $1.2 billion allocated for the national
identification project.
According to the opposition, the amount was
alarming and in contradiction of President
Akufo-Addo’s mantra of “protecting
the public purse.â€
A statement from the NDC’s Functional
Executive Committee (FEC) and signed by NDC
General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia urged
Ghanaians to rise and demand answers with regards
to value for money.
“The NDC is also alarmed at the cost of $1.2
Billion that this project will cost the people of
Ghana as it is not in consonance with President
Akufo-Addo’s often touted mantra of
‘Protecting The Public Purse’ and we
are calling on all well-meaning Ghanaians to
demand answers relating to issues bordering on
value for money,†the statement added. Source - citinewsroom
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