The National Identification Authority (NIA) has refuted claims of by the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of fraudulently issuing a Ghana Card to Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng.

Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng is the Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral who has been accused by Mr. Ablakwa of having two identities.

Mr Ablakwa alleged that although Victor Kusi Boateng is the real name of the National Cathedral’s Board Secretary, the NIA issued him a Ghana Card bearing the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.

However, the NIA in a statement dated February 1 described the claims as false.

According to the Authority, “there is no biometric record of any person in the NIA database called Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng and, therefore, Mr Ablakwa could not have conducted any comparative analysis of that non-existent data with that of Kwabena Adu Gyamfi”’.

“NIA has no record of anyone bearing the name Victor Kusi Boateng in the NIR; and  NIA has no record in the NIR of any person born on 7th September 1971 or any other day with the name Victor Kusi Boateng,” portions of the statement read.

The NIA added that the claim of having conducted “a rare and comprehensive analysis of the NIA database” is a mere self-praise; indeed, it is both rare and uncanny.

“Mr Ablakwa provides no empirical evidence of the biometrics of Victor Kusi Boateng precisely, as there is none, and if there is, it is not derived from the NIA database!”

Clarifying the basis for issuance of Ghana Card to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, the NIA stated that “during the mass registration exercise, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi went to an NIA registration center called Vicandy School at Asuoyeboah in Kumasi on 15th January 2020 to register.”

According to them, Mr Adu Gyamfi submitted to NIA registration officials a valid Ghanaian passport issued by the Passport Office on 16th May 2018, with the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi; the expiry date in the said passport is 15th May 2023.

For which the NIA registration officials registered Kwabena Adu Gyamfi using his valid passport as the base identity document for his registration, and duly issued him with a Ghana Card.