NIA explains why some people got two or three Ghana cards

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has explained to theghanareport.com why some citizens got two or more Ghana cards.

Pictures of the duplication went viral on social media with users questioning the credibility of the Ghana card, which will serve as one of the requirements for the compilation of a new voters’ register.

But in response to these concerns, the authority says it can explain.

“The case where multiple cards have been printed with the same Personal Identification Number and different Document Numbers for a person can result from reprinting a card,” the response to theghanareport.com read.

Read the full reply to theghanareport.com below

NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY:

MULTIPLE GHANA CARDS AT CARD DISTRIBUTION CENTRES:

During the current Ghana Card distribution exercise, it was observed that some applicants had two or three cards printed with the same personal details or with different cards or PINs. We can explain why this occurred.

1. It must be stated that each Ghana Card has a Personal ID Number and a Document Number.

2. The Personal ID Number is designed to be unique to an individual whereas the Document Number is unique to each card. Each citizen’s Ghana Card has a valid period of ten years. This means that during a person’s lifetime they may have more than one card. Each card should bear the same Personal ID Number but have a different Document Number.

3. Before a Ghana Card is produced as the result of a registration, there is a complex set of processes that need to be completed. During the printing process, encrypted data is also written to the embedded chip.

4. After the card is printed there are two verification steps that should be completed to ensure the card is suitable for use.
-The first is manual inspection of the card that ensures that the printed details are legible and that the card is laminated properly. This step happens as soon as the card is printed, if there are errors the card will be reprinted.
-The second is a biometric verification of the person against the details stored in the chip. This process can happen when the person collects the card or when it is first used during a verification event.

5. The system allows only ONE card to be active against a set of biometrics (face, fingers, and iris) at a time. Details of all verifications are stored in the central system.

6. NIA and its technical partner Identity Management Systems (IMS) are constantly monitoring the registration and card production activities. As a result of the constant monitoring, we are aware of the occurrence of two situations relating to multiple card production for a person. -The first is where Ghana Cards are printed for a person with the same Personal Identification Number and different Document Numbers.
-The second is where multiple cards have been printed for the same person with different Personal Identification Numbers and different Document Numbers.

7. The case where multiple cards have been printed with the same Personal Identification Number and different Document Numbers for a person can result from reprinting a card.

8. There are 525 incidences where multiple cards have been printed for a person with different Personal Identification Numbers. This was caused by a system update that has been resolved.

9. As mentioned earlier, only ONE card can be active against a set of biometrics (face, fingers, and iris). The system automatically assigns invalid card details to a watch list.

10. It should be noted that the biometrics on two cards in two different pictures being circulated on social media is the same as the person shown on the front of the card.

11. The affected people are being contacted by the NIA to inform them of what they need to do. Any invalid cards are put on a watch list and cannot be used.