Lawmaker wants budget for National ID

Nimba County District #8 Representatives Larry P. Younquoi has stressed the need to allocate funds in the Fiscal Year 2017/2018 budget for the implementation of the National Identification scheme.

Rep. Younquoi says the country has already put in place certain architecture such as the National Identification Registry and the various service center around the country that could aid the process.
In a request filed before his colleagues at the Lower House on Tuesday, 21 February, the Nimba County Lawmaker stressed that the National ID card scheme will ensure that each eligible citizen will be identified by his or her name, place of birth and place of ordinary residence.

He has suggested that it will help to completely eliminate the question of whether or not someone is domiciled in a particular place. Rep. Younquoi says Liberia stands two ways to benefit from the national identification scheme which include completely eradication of confusion over the identity and residency of citizen during elections, census and other form of enumeration that require adequate identity.

He stated further that revenues will be generated through the Notary Public for the issuance of an affidavit in case of a change in the residency, name or other characteristics of an individual in a case he or she so desires.
He warned that national events such as elections and census should not be taken for granted, adding that it was no gainsaying that the absence of an appropriate identification mechanism in place was a recipe for chaos.

Rep. Younquoi emphasized that the lack of appropriate identification has the tendency to plunge the society into a much larger scale of conflict if no step is taken to correct the situation.
He noted that the current uncontrollable wave of movement of the population from one area to another to obtain voter registration card was a clarion testimony to such potential chaos which has everything it takes to undermine the democracy here.
Following his presentation at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, the House Plenary turned the communication over to the Committee on State Enterprise, Ways Means and Finance and Internal Affairs to report within two weeks.
Editing by Winston W. Parley