Wednesday 7 September 2016

National ID System For Ghana: Let Us Follow The Example Of Cameroon

Today we are posting a press release fom the  digital security company, Gemalto, which we have culled from the website of the African Press Organisation (APO).

Our hope, in so doing, is that it will inspire all the members of Ghana's political class to work together,  to finally move ahead to complete the stalled project to have a national ID system for Ghana.

Surely, if the ruling elites of Cameroon can muster the political will to undertake such a vital initiative in an age of global terrorism, Ghana's ruling elites ought to do so too - especially as the footprint of terrorist organisations active in other parts of the world now covers the West African subregion? Hmm, Ghana - eyeasem o.

Please read on:

''Cameroon tackles Identity Fraud with Gemalto’s Advanced eID Solution

Surpasses 100 references in Government Programs

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 7, 2016/ -- Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) (www.Gemalto.com), the world leader in digital security, is supporting DGSN, the General Delegation for National Security in Cameroon, in tackling fraud and document counterfeiting (http://apo.af/E0hqwI) with the deployment of Sealys Color in PC for polycarbonate eID cards, a first in Africa.

This innovative approach consists in laser engraving high resolution color photos into the durable Sealys card body to provide Cameroon with the benefits of irrefutable proof of identity (http://apo.af/zqOSsd) for its 20 million citizens. Gemalto also contributes to the country’s comprehensive identity modernization program with its Coesys enrolment solution, its personalization platform implementing color laser engraving technology and eID verification terminals (http://apo.af/Ezg8xL) .

Gemalto’s Sealys Color in PC eID offers DGSN significant security benefits compared to solutions that simply print photographs on the surface of a card. Furthermore, the tamper-proof image is combined with a digital copy of the card holder’s fingerprint stored within the embedded microprocessor. Additional levels of protection are provided by a series of visible and invisible document security features (http://apo.af/zrLjpv). The card body, which is entirely made of polycarbongate foils, guarantees a minimum ten year service life with outstanding resistance to extremes of temperature and mechanical stress.

Gemalto will enable DGSN to operate the fully integrated system autonomously via a comprehensive training, maintenance and knowledge transfer program. DGSN will therefore be in a position to take full responsibility for enrolling citizens and issuing personalized eID cards, then verifying eIDs on the terminals supplied.

“Gemalto is the perfect match for our ambitious project goals. The end to end solution will give us full flexibility and autonomy to manage and operate our new national eID program in house,” said Martin Mbarga Nguele, the General Delegate to the National Security, Head of DGSN (http://apo.af/D61dng). “Establishing and verifying every citizen’s identity is at the heart of a successful and secure nation state, and we are confident this solution will help us achieve this key strategic objective.”

“Representing the first deployment of Color in Polycarbonate in Africa, the solution chosen by DGSN puts Cameroon at the very forefront of the world’s secure document programs,” said Frédéric Trojani, Executive Vice President Government Programs at Gemalto. “As well as a technological leap towards greater security and efficiency, it will provide the foundation of trust on which a modern digital society and economy can be built. With this new contract, Gemalto surpasses 100 references in government programs.” 

Distributed by APO on behalf of Gemalto.

View multimedia content

Media Contacts:
Philippe Benitez
North America
+1 512 257 3869
philippe.benitez@gemalto.com

Peggy Edoire
Europe & CIS
+33 4 42 36 45 40
peggy.edoire@gemalto.com

Vivian Liang
大中华地区 (Greater China)
+86 1059373046
vivian.liang@gemalto.com

Ernesto Haikewitsch
Latin America
+55 11 5105 9220
ernesto.haikewitsch@gemalto.com

Kristel Teyras
Middle East & Africa
+33 1 55 01 57 89
kristel.teyras@gemalto.com

Shintaro Suzuki
Asia Pacific
+65 6317 8266 
shintaro.suzuki@gemalto.com

About Gemalto:

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) (www.Gemalto.com) is the global leader in digital security, with 2015 annual revenues of €3.1 billion and customers in over 180 countries. We bring trust to an increasingly connected world.

Our technologies and services enable businesses and governments to authenticate identities and protect data so they stay safe and enable services in personal devices, connected objects, the cloud and in between.

Gemalto’s solutions are at the heart of modern life, from payment to enterprise security and the internet of things. We authenticate people, transactions and objects, encrypt data and create value for software – enabling our clients to deliver secure digital services for billions of individuals and things.

Our 14,000+ employees operate out of 118 offices, 45 personalization and data centers, and 27 research and software development centers located in 49 countries.

For more information visit www.Gemalto.com or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

SOURCE : Gemalto"

End of quoted Gemalto press release culled from APO.

In addressing this particular blog post to all the members of Ghana's political class, this blog will borrow a pidgin English phrase made popular once upon a time, by Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) football commentators, when handing over commentary to Joe Lartey, one of the best English language football commentators ever to come out of the African continent: "Over to you, Joe Lartey!"

Every politician in Ghana knows what it means in the context in which this blog is using that pidgin English phrase to address them: So let them get on with it and get Ghanaians a modern national ID system as soon as practicable - by learning from Cameroon's shinning example.

No comments: