Jaman South MP commends stakeholders for preventing foreigners from acquiring new voters card

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaman-South Constituency in the Bono Region, Mr Yaw Afful, has commended the security personnel and other stakeholders for being proactive in preventing foreigners from registering for the ongoing new voter’s identification card.

In an interaction with the media at Bodaa in the constituency, the MP, who is also the Deputy Minister for Aviation, explained that the various district security councils, in consultation with the chiefs, had helped in preventing foreigners from acquiring the cards.

According to him, the move will help the Electoral Commission to compile a credible voters register ahead of the December 7, 2020 general elections.

The Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Kwame Baffoe aka Abronye DC, was in the constituency to ascertain the progress or otherwise of the ongoing registration exercise.

At the time of filing this report, the Regional Chairman had toured registration centres at Kokoa, Gyankufa, Buni and Asiri in the Jaman North Constituency, Biama, Bodaa, Kofitiakrom, Adiokor 1&2, Zezera, all in the Jaman South Constituency.

Chairman Abronye, in his remarks, called on all NPP registration agents at the various centres to be vigilant as the exercise is progressing to its end.

While expressing satisfaction on the observation of social distancing protocols, he commended the Jaman North and Jaman South constituencies for carrying out clean and decent registration exercises at the various border towns.

Chairman Abronye appealed to the stakeholders in the exercise to restrain foreigners from acquiring the Ghanaian voters identification card to ensure that only Ghanaians will participate in the impending elections.

Meanwhile, a Senior Law Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Lawyer Anane Gyende, has backed the ruling of the Supreme Court that the birth certificate is no proof of citizenship, and, therefore, can’t be used as a basic document for voter’s ID registration.

Speaking on Sunyani-based Nimdee FM, the law lecturer observed that “the birth certificate only indicates one was born in Sunyani on a particular day by Kwame Manu and Yaa Mansa, but there is nothing on it to prove that person is a Ghanaian.”

According to him: “There is no picture on the birth certificate, and should one go out there and print any document and present it that he was born at the Sunyani Municipal Hospital on a certain date by Kwame Manu and Yaa Mansa, what is the proof that the birth certificate truly belongs to him?” he asked.

According to Lawyer Gyende, “There is no feature on it (birth certificate) to prove the person’s identity, and for that matter you can’t identify anybody with that birth certificate.”

“Secondly, there should be bio-data on the document when put in a system that can link and provide accurate information of the person, such as picture, name, where he was born, parents and other key information for easy identification like that of the NHIS card.”

Again, he added, when the Supreme Court rules on any issue, it becomes law of the state, and anybody can express his or her view on it, but to insult the court on the ruling, you scandalise the court and could be charged for contempt.

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