The government has suspended the National ID registration program that it had launched for GCSE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level students who are writing their examinations later this year. The National ID Program was suspended barely 24 hours after being announced due to Covid-19 fears.
On Friday night, the Department of Civil Registry in the Ministry of Home Affairs And Cultural Heritage, Records And Normation announced that Registry Offices across the country will be open over the weekend of Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27 to allow students in examination classes to get their national IDs.
There was a massive response to the National ID program as thousands of students turned up at the Registry Offices across the country. There were snaking lines at the registry offices which sparked fears of Covid-19 as there was jostling and little to no social distancing.
In an announcement on Saturday afternoon, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage said,
Members of the public and all our valued clients are kindly being advised that the exercise which the Civil Registry Department had availed to allow GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level candidates for the November 2021 examinations to apply for IDs between the weekend of 26-27
June 2021 has been suspended forthwith, owing to the rising Covid-19 cases. As such, ALL Civil Registry Offices countrywide will be closed tomorrow, 27 June 2021. Fellow citizens, kindly be guided accordingly. Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.-iharare
