An Accra High Court has ruled that the National Identification Authority (NIA) can go ahead with the Ghana card registration despite President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's ban on public gathering to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In his judgment, Justice Anthony Oppong said the applicants in the case have not shown any justifiable reason why the NIA should be restrained from its Ghana card registration exercise in the Eastern Region.

“The application for interlocutory injunction ought to fail and same is dismissed”, Justice Oppong ruled.

The court made reference to President Akufo-Addo's address to the nation on 15 March 2020 and said the President’s executive orders did not restrain public institutions from working.

Instead, the President asked them to take precautionary measures and also take heed to social distancing protocols as they go about their work. 

The court, subsequently awarded a cost of GHS6,000 against the two applicants, Kevin Mark-Oliver and Emmanuel Akumatey Okrah, in favour of the first respondent (NIA).

The two Ghanaians dragged the NIA to court to stop them from their continuous Ghana card registration despite the several calls for social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.