-River Gee Senator, Smith, Raises Red Flag
River Gee County Senator, Wellengton Geevon Smith, is demanding explanation from authorities of Liberia’s National Identification Registry, NIR, over what he said is prolonged suspension over the national identification process.
Senator Smith’s concern comes amidst growing public outcry over what seems to be a perpetual halt of the process since June 2025.
The River Gee Senator put the matter on the floor of the Senate during Thursday, March 5, 2026 plenary of the Liberian Senate.
The National Identification Registry, NIR, and the Central Bank of Liberia, CBL, in mid-2025 issued a joint statement in which they ordered a halt of the national identification exercise, causing a major setback in the country’s national ID card registration and application processes.
The statement instructed all commercial banks to relax the enforcement of the National Identification Card as a prerequisite for banking activities.
It also ordered public social service providers to take immediate action to comply, while authorities of the NIR announced the suspension of all National Identification Card issuances for unspecified “administrative reasons.
The development came two months after President Joseph Boakai had announced Executive Order No. 147, mandating every Liberian to obtain a national identification card by August 1, 2025.
The order had earlier been seen as pivotal step toward establishing a more modern digital governance framework for the country. a situation he says is disrupting financial transactions and access to essential services nationwide.
Senator Smith observed that the prolong delay in the removal of the suspension over the process has created a situation he says has financial transactions and access to essential services across Liberia.
Meanwhile, the Liberian Senate has summoned the Director General and Board of the National Identification Registry (NIR) to give reasons why the suspension of the process has not been lifted.
The National Identification Registry is an autonomous agency within the Executive Branch of the Liberian Government. It was created by an act of the National Legislature in 2011.
