Accra: Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, former Chief Executive Officer of the National Identification Authority (NIA), has advocated for a legislative review to regulate the process of changing names and dates of birth in Ghana. He emphasized that the current practices surrounding identity changes could have significant societal implications.
According to Ghana News Agency, Prof. Attafuah expressed his concerns during the launch of a comprehensive book on notaries public practice in Ghana, authored by lawyer Daniel Yaw Abaidoo. The book explores the legal frameworks, case studies, and research materials related to notaries public in the country. Prof. Attafuah highlighted the potential impacts of individuals altering their ages by a decade or more, particularly on the Social Security and National Insurance systems, as well as the NIA's database.
Prof. Attafuah criticized the ease with which individuals could change their identities without proper legal endorsements. He described a common practice where individuals obtain affidavits from notaries public, pay a fee to the Ghana Publishing Company, and have their new identities gazetted or notarized. He urged the government to address these issues and emphasized the importance of educating the public on proper procedures.
He further expressed concerns about the role of notaries public and lawyers in verifying identity documents, questioning the legal validity of gazette notifications based solely on personal declarations. He noted that identity changes could result in entirely new identities disconnected from a person's previous records, leading to potential criminal activities.
Prof. Attafuah recounted his experiences as the CEO of the NIA, where he faced opposition from individuals attempting to change their identities through questionable means. He warned that such practices could reduce the role of notaries public to mere formalities and stressed the need for stricter oversight and regulation.
