The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, has recounted his role in the arrest and conviction of his nephew, who is an official with the outfit.
The nephew, George Kwame Essien, is an Assistant Technical Enrollment Officer at NIA’s Walewale Office.
He was last week convicted for assisting an alleged Fulani herdsman, Amadu Seeta, to acquire a Ghana Card without following the standard operating procedures.
Taken to Facebook, Professor Attafuah said he received allegations about the misconduct and dispatched a team to Walewale to investigate.
Essien upon arrest pleaded with him for forgiveness and intervention, promising not to repeat his actions but the NIA boss said he declined because the actions undermined the integrity of the system.
“Mr Essien had an uncommon opportunity to serve Ghana as an NIA official. Instead of doing so with integrity and professionalism, George Essien engaged in bribe- taking, registration of an ineligible foreigner, forging the signatures of his office colleagues, and generally involving himself in misconduct tending to undermine the integrity of the National Identification System (NIS) Project — the very foundation of our nation’s digitalization agenda, and bringing the name of NIA into disrepute,” he wrote.
Professor Attafuah has pledged the NIA’s commitment to upholding integrity, patriotism, and nationalism, stating that the Authority will not tolerate breaches of its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regardless of who is involved.
He has further commended NIA employees who stand up against criminality, impunity, and lawlessness, emphasizing NIA’s commitment to honouring and celebrating such individuals.
“The conviction of Essien serves as a reminder that no one is above the law, even those with connections to high-ranking officials. Professor Attafuah’s actions demonstrate NIA’s resolve to maintain the integrity of the NIS and ensure that all NIA employees adhere to the highest ethical standards,” he added.
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