NATION

Ghana convicts Nigerian for impersonation

Ghana’s National Identification Authority has convicted a Nigerian for impersonation.

The Asokore Mampong District Magistrate Court sentenced the Nigerian, Usman Emmanuel to a fine of 250 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢3,000.

In default, Usman will spend 6 months in prison.

The country’s local media report Ms that Emmanuel, a resident of Sawaba in Kumasi, posed as a Ghanaian in order to acquire a Ghana Card, contrary to the law.

The NIA said Usman carried a Ghanaian Birth Certificate and went through the registration process and was left to be issued with the Ghana Card.

“It was at this point the Regional Registration Officer (RRO) of NIA in the Ashanti Region suspected the applicant was not a Ghanaian. The RRO quickly handed him over to the Police CID at Adum, Kumasi, for further investigation.

The investigation established that despite being in possession of a valid Ghanaian Birth Certificate, Usman Emmanuel was not a Ghanaian,” the statement dated March 13 read

The suspect was then arraigned and charged with the offence of falsely providing information about himself contrary to section 17 (C) of the National Identification Authority Act 707 (Act 2006).

At the end of the trial, the court found him guilty of the offence.

On the registration of the Ghana Card, the NIA said that “any foreign national, legally resident in Ghana, and with a valid resident permit can register for the Non-Citizen Card which is issued at various designated centres across the country including the NIA Headquarters.”

The Cornet reports that Nigeria and Ghana have a history of state-driven deportations of each other’s nationals. Ghana had expelled Nigerians living in its country in 1954 and, later 1969.

With Nigeria’s oil boom in the 1970’s, the country became attractive to Ghanaians and other Africans. The period saw an exodus of Ghanaians trooping into the country and taking up various jobs, particularly odd jobs.

Nigeria’s oil economy was subsequently weakened, due to mismanagement and official corruption.

In 1983, Nigerian leader Shehu Shagari adopted a policy that saw to the expulsion of one million Ghanaians.

The infamous ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ policy of the Shagari regime strained relationship between the two African neighbors, which has for a long time maintained cautious affection for each other.

 

 

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