By: Varney Dukuly
MONROVIA: In an apparent agreement to widespread speculations that non-Liberians especially some African nationals are allegedly paying huge amounts of money to obtain the country National Identification Card, the Executive Director of the National Identification Registry, J. Tiah Nagbe, has broken silence and called on Liberians to get use to the duplication’s of the nation’s identification cards but stressed that the system at the NIR is strong to detect any frauds.
The NIR, established in 2011, accordingly is an institution clothed with the primary authority to produce citizens’ identification cards.
In recent times, reports had it that scores of non-Liberians, African nationals are in possession of Liberia’s National Identification Cards, something that is creating credibility problem for National Identification Registry (NIR).
However, NIR Boss’ statement is in direct response to reports of mass duplication of Identification cards in Maryland County by some unscrupulous individuals.
Addressing a news conference recently in Monrovia, NIR boss, Tiah Nagbe, said he is not alarmed like others over the duplications of the institution cards, stating that he is familiar with ID challenges around the world.
“I know across the globe there are a lot of attempts to produce fake IDs, any credential that is valid there is an attempt to fake it. One of the most credential instruments in the world is the US Dollars, there are many attempts to create fake US Dollars but the system is supposed to be strong to resist that. So, we need to get used to it, it is new to us,” he explained.
Mr. Nagbe indicated that the National Identification Registrar has a resilience system that is capable of resisting acts that could undermine the integrity of the institution.
The law called for the setup of a NIR to be responsible for issuing biometric-based identification card to each citizen and foreign residents, but this call is apparently still far from achieving its goal which will eventually impact the country’s economy.
Nagbe: “If you are a soccer player, you expect that people will kick you and if you don’t want to kick than, don’t play, so in the ID system you will anticipate that people will attempt to create fake ID. When I went to the House, people say our card is being duplicated, the whole system is useless, again you have to get used to it, but the system is strong to deal with that.”
Like Maryland, reports emerged in Montserrado County recently, particularly electoral District #2 with respect to reported mass duplication of the Identification Cards by some unscrupulous individuals along the Somalia Drive.
The debate which intensified prompted the District Representative, Jimmy Smith, to file an official complaint to the plenary of the House of Representatives. Though the case is still under investigation, the NIR has assured the public of bringing the perpetrators to book.
“People should not play with or attempt to duplicate the NIR because doing so, you will put yourself into trouble,” he indicated.
In the lead to the 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections, the NIR boss said the institution has written the National Elections Commission (NEC) to state clearly if the ‘Identification Card’ will be used during the elections process.
The NIR communication to the NEC comes in the wake of disclosure by the National Elections Commission boss, stating that the Identification Card will be used during the 2023 Presidential and Senatorial elections in the country.
“We don’t have the detailed as to how the NEC intends to use the Identification cards, we have written the Elections Commission, seeking clarity because that way, we will be able to provide more valuable information with the usage of the cards,” Nagbe noted.
