Legislative review crucial to change of names and dates of birth - Prof. Attafuah  - Ghana Business News

**Prof. Ken Attafuah Calls for Name and Birth Date Change Review**

Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, former CEO of the National Identification Authority (NIA), wants a legislative review. He believes this review should clarify when people can change their names and birth dates.

Attafuah spoke to journalists in Accra during the launch of a new book. This book is about notaries public practice in Ghana. It was authored by lawyer Daniel Yaw Abaidoo.

He highlighted that changing birth dates by 10 to 15 years has serious implications. Such changes affect Ghana’s Social Security, National Insurance, and the NIA database.

Attafuah pointed out that many people change their identities without legal endorsement. They often visit lawyers or notaries public to make these changes informally.

For example, someone named Ama Mansah might want to become Akosua. They get an affidavit stamped, pay a fee, and have it published without proper verification.

He stressed that the government needs to address these issues. Public education on proper identity management is also essential.

Attafuah emphasized the important role of notaries public and lawyers in document verification. He expressed concern over how gazette notifications are published based solely on personal claims.

Some name changes create entirely new identities disconnected from previous ones. As NIA CEO, he faced backlash from individuals wanting to change their names easily.

These practices can lead to criminality and undermine the integrity of notaries public. He warned that this reduces their role to merely being rubber stamps for identity changes.