The Minority Leader in Parliament has expressed disappointment at a High Court ruling which gives the National Identification Authority (NIA) the freedom to continue its registration exercise for the Ghana card despite President Akufo-Addo ban on social gathering.

Haruna Iddrisu said the ruling defeats the purpose of the President’s directives and citizens will be justified to disrespect them.

“I am profoundly disappointed in the ruling of the court not giving meaning and support to the President’s directives against public gathering in order to protect lives and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“To hear that a court has ruled that NIA can continue with mass registration will mean that they are giving the license to public gatherings,” he told Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo.

As Ghana recorded its first few cases of COVID-19, the President placed a limitation on social gathering, restricting the congregation of people to 25.

He also ordered schools, from basic to university to be closed for four weeks. But the NIA’s refusal to halt its registration exercise in the Eastern region prompted a court action by two Ghanaians.

Mark Oliver Kevor and Emmanuel Okrah filed a case in court asking that the NIA be stopped from carrying out its registration exercise.

They maintain the exercise is contrary to the social distancing directives issued by President Akufo-Addo in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the presiding judge, Justice Anthony Oppong in his Friday ruling said the NIA was entitled to continue its work of registering Ghanaians.

Touching on this ruling, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu wonders how the registration exercise which is not an essential service can go ahead.

This, he believes only goes to show that “we are prioritizing elections at the peril of Ghanaian lives. That can only be disappointing. It is the least I expected from the courts of Ghana but once it is a court ruling, it means every other Ghanaian may decide that he or she wants to continue with their normal lives.

“That will not be good for the country and as patriotic citizens, we must be concerned. If people can congregate to do NIA registration, then they can congregate to do other things,” he added.

He accused government of only being concerned about “winning elections and consolidating power than saving lives of Ghanaians.”