NIA confirms renewed En ‘Aisha’ Huang’s Ghana Card is authentic

• Posted on September 7, 2022September 7, 2022
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has confirmed that the valid “NON-CITIZEN IDENTITY CARD” (Ghana Card) in possession of the Chinese galamsey queen, En “Aisha” Huang is authentic.

Following her arrest last week that she had reportedly sneaked into Ghana to again engage in illegal mining activities, more details are emerging about the Chinese national, En Huang.

She was deported to her home country, China, in 2018. 

But new details emerging indicates that, she sneaked into Ghana and went ahead to renew a “NON-CITIZEN IDENTITY CARD” [Ghana Card], which according to the NIA, she first applied and was issued on February 26, 2014.

She did her first application and registration in 2014 at the Foreigner Identification Management System (FIMS) registration centre at Nhyiaeso, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region. Her biometrics were captured and she was issued with a Non-citizen Ghana Card.

She subsequently did two more renewals on August 31, 2016 and January 8, 2018, using the same details and Chinese passport number G39575625 with the name En Huang.

But even though, she was deemed to be a deportee, she reportedly sneaked into the country and successfully renewed the card with the new validity date on it as February 27, 2022 to February 26, 2023.

However, according to the NIA, the renewal was done on August 25, 2022 in Tamale.

According to the NIA, on August 25, 2022, she visited an NIA Registration centre in Tamale in the Northern Region and renewed that “Non-Citizen Ghana Card”.

But that according to the NIA, was not without an incident as she had tried to register as a fresh applicant with the new name RUIXIA HUANG.

Inconsistency

Again she presented a new date of birth November 07, 1975, which matched with the new passport she presented with the number EJ5891162.

But her earlier NON CITIZEN IDENTITY Ghana Card, which was already in the NIA system had July 07, 1986 as her date of birth. Her biometrics pulled out her old data and portrayed the inconsistency.

Her explanation according to the NIA was that, she had changed her name. When NIA officials asked for supporting documentation, that is an affidavit to enable them effect the change, she could not produce one.

The NIA in its explanation press statement was silent on the discrepancy and inconsistency in the date of birth but said NIA officials in Tamale went ahead and renewed the card for her using the details already in the system.

What happened in En “Aisha” Huang’s case?

In a press statement dated September 6, 2022, signed and issued by its Acting Head of Corporate Affairs, Abudu-Abdul Ganiyu, the NIA explained that, “on 25th August 2022 at 10:35 am, an incident occurred at the FIMS Registration Centre in Tamale, Northern Region, involving a Chinese national who visited the centre as a first-time applicant with the following details: Forename: RUIXIA, Surname: HUANG, Date of Birth: 07-Nov-75, Passport Number: EJ5891162.

“The registration, however, went into a technical state known as ‘RejectedDueAFIS’, which meant that the biometrics of RUIXIA HUANG possibly matched that of an already existing person in the NIS database,” the NIA explained. 

“The registration officer therefore sent a request to the technical support team for further investigations. This revealed that, based on the biometrics provided, “RUIXIA HUANG” had previously registered as EN HUANG in the FIMS record under the NIS database.”

“When confronted by the registration officer with this information, she claimed to have changed her name. As per NIA’s normal registration process, EN HUANG was asked to provide an official certified affidavit and a gazette as required by law to support the change of name if the details in the passport with number EJ5891162 were to be used to update her old records.”

The NIA explained further that EN HUANG was then given the option of waiting to bring in the required documents before her details could be updated or renewing her old registration with her Personal ID Number CHN-010039480-J, without any change in details.

She opted to renew with the old details and then go through the affidavit and gazette process after which she would then provide the documents for the update to be done.

Her renewed Non-Citizen Ghana Card was then issued to her on 25th August 2022, bearing the details, Forename: EN Surname: HUANG, Date of Birth: 07-Jul-86 Personal ID Number: CHN-010039480-J. This card is what is now impugned and trending on social media (Images attached), the NIA added in the explanation.

Non-Citizen Identity Card [Ghana Card]

Since 2012, the law has required all foreigners permanently resident in Ghana (i.e., for 90 days or longer), who are not diplomats or representatives of international non-governmental organisations, to register for and acquire the national identity card of Ghana.

The card issued to such qualified foreigners is the “NON-CITIZEN IDENTITY CARD” and is so captioned in red lettering above the card holder’s personal details. This distinguishing information in red does not appear on the Ghana Card meant for Ghanaian citizens. 

The qualified foreign applicants pay a statutory fee of US$120.00 for the Non-Citizen Identity Card which is valid for one year and is renewable every year at a fee of US$60.00.

The NIA went further, “It must be emphasized that possession of the Non-Citizen Ghana Card does not confer or amount to having Ghanaian citizenship.

“The NIA’s verification system functioned as designed to enable NIA prevent HUANG EN from registering under a new name and date of birth for a new Non-Citizen Ghana Card, despite her being in possession of two Chinese passports.

“The matter is being investigated by the security agencies. The NIA wishes to assure the general public that its technical system remains robust, and it will continue to jealously guard the boundaries of Ghanaian citizenship and prevent unqualified foreigners from obtaining the Ghana Card meant for Ghanaian citizens.” 

Meanwhile Graphic Online gathers that the Attorney-General intends to re-initiate prosecution in respect of the old offences for which she was standing trial before her deportation in 2018.

This means the Attorney-General intends to pursue a full prosecution in respect of the old offences for which she was standing trial before her deportation in 2018.

The Attorney-General has called for the new docket regarding offences she is said to have recently committed.

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Huang and three others for allegedly engaging in illegal mining in Ghana.

The accused persons were charged for engaging in sale and purchase of minerals without a licence.

The other three are Jong Li Hua; Huang Jei and Huiad Hiahu, all Chinese nationals.

Aisha Huang is facing an additional charge of engaging in mining without a licence.

She was arraigned last Friday [September 2, 2022] and her plea to the charges are yet to be taken by the court presided over by Bright Acquah since the court had no Chinese interpreter at the time.

-Graphic