The Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Dame has told an Accra High Court that the National Identification Authority (NIA) was not part of institutions barred from working as directed by the President on March 19, 2020.

This is contained in a statement of case filed in response to a motion for an interim injunction filed by two citizens. 

Mark Oliver Kevor and Emmanuel Okrah are 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 cases recorded in Ghana.

The High Court presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah on March 23 granted a similar request filed by Prince Tabi and 29 others.

This injunction is to be in force for the next 10 days. The NIA has since Saturday morning called of its exercise citing the application filed by Kevor and others.

The AG’s office which is joined as a defendant in this action has filed two applications in court. The first is asking the court to hear the injunction motion filed by the two citizens earlier than usual. The other wants the court to dismiss the application.

The Deputy AG in documents filed in court lists the public gatherings affected by the President’s directives.

This includes conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events and religious activities.

Mr. Dame maintains the President did announce a preservation of the continued operation of businesses and other workplaces subject to the observance of prescribed social distancing between patrons and staff.

This he concludes meant manufacturing, industrial and service workshops including the civil service in other organs of government, local market, supermarkets among others can continue to function subject to prescribed social distancing.

Mr. Dame says the NIA which is a public service body established under the laws of Ghana proceeded to discharge its functions to the general public. The Deputy AG states that the two citizens have no legal or equitable right that could be asserted in law.

He also states that the balance of convenience tilts in favour of the NIA.