NIA Mass Registration exercise in U/E records high patronage

16-08-13       

Narration: The National Identification Mass Registration Exercise began yesterday in the various designated centres of the Upper East Region with centres recording high patronage. A visit by our Upper East Regional Correspondent Isaac Asare to some corresponding polling station witnessed prospective registrants forming long queues to partake in the national exercise. The exercise which is being spearheaded by the National Identification Authority (NIA) is expected to last for the next 10 days and covers persons that have attained the age of six and above. Radio Ghana brings you the details.

 Report

According to our correspondent the atmosphere at the areas visited including Bukere and Dapotidongo, were relatively calm as registration agents were on top of their respective duties. Materials including registration forms and machines were available for the smooth execution of the exercise. At the premises of the Regional House of Chiefs in Bukere, one of the Registration Officers Emmanuel Sarkodie, hinted that due to the high turn up of qualified registrants the registration machine broke down during the process. He therefore called on the authorities to furnish the centre with an additional machine and cartridges to augment and ease pressure on the existing one. At the close of the exercise as about 5:10 pm, the centre had registered more than 70 qualified persons. Mr Sarkodie later told Radio Ghana that similar exercises conducted in other regions recorded incidence of double registration and warned that persons found culpable would be made to face a jail term. Additionally, the penalty for double registration attracts 2,500 penalty units and each penalty unity costs GH¢12.00. The regional exercise involving 1,267 trained personnel with 700 data entry agents was not conducted for voting purposes but rather a mechanism aimed at providing a secure and reliable way of identifying both Ghanaians and foreign nationals in the country. Mr Sarkodie however entreated the general public not to prevent people from registering. He also advised registrants to come along with the necessary verification documents for easy identification. Documents required for registration could include baptismal card or certificate, birth certificate, birth weighing card, voters ID card, passport, driver’s license and SSNIT card among others. Meanwhile persons that did not possess any of the said documents are required to come along with relatives to identify them under oath. She stressed that registration was absolutely free and advised the public to report any officer or person who demands money for registration, to any nearby NIA District Office for action to be taken. The Upper East Region had zone into two  with zone one comprising operational zones such as Bolgatanga Municipality, Bongo, Kassena-Nankana, Builsa North, and Builsa South Districts whilst zone wwo covers Bawku Municipality, Bawku West, Garu-Tempane and Talensi-Nabdam Districts.

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