Drama At Saltpond

Drama unfolded at this year’s Biometric Registration exercise at Anomabo in the Mfantseman West Constituency of the Central region on Saturday when some National Democratic Congress (NDC) gurus stormed the area to disrupt the exercise at the Western forecourt at Anomabo Castle.

The stalwarts included Deputy Central Regional Minister, Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Kweku Hayfron, Presiding Member, Alex Bechem, NDC Constituency Chairman, Stephen Moore and some macho men.

According to sources, the Electoral Commission (EC) published that the registration center, which used to be in front of the house of the wife of the Minister of Education, Ambassador Lee Ocran had been relocated to the Western forecourt at Anomabo Castle.

The source added that the NDC members, who allegedly engaged in multiple registration at that center, realized that they were not going to find things easy in the newly-created registration center.

According to the source, the EC, about two weeks ago, had a meeting with stakeholders informing them of the new registration center where nobody raised an objection but suddenly the NDC members stormed the venue on Saturday to create confusion.

The source stated the Saltpond Police Command calmed tempers down and further took the registration machines and other registration materials to the police station.

The Central Regional Deputy Commissioner of EC therefore directed the police to ensure that the original venue, which was published in the papers, be used as the center and not where the NDC members are demanding.

However, the people at the center were not able to register due to the misunderstanding which ensued in the area.

They therefore started their registration on Sunday instead of the planned Saturday.

DAILY GUIDE observed that in most of the centres in the region the machines developed faults which prevented most officials from commencing the exercise at exactly 7:00 am as scheduled by the EC.

At Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) and Assin South Constituencies, the police Commander, DSP Benard Twum-Barima toured all the centres in the district to ensure peace and tranquility in the area.

The committed DSP, whose outfit has never received a vehicle despite numerous publications by media houses, was spotted in his private car with his men on board visiting the centres under his jurisdiction.

He was seen giving out his numbers to the registration officials to call him for assistance.

At Assin South, DAILY GUIDE gathered that most officials at the registration centres at Jakai, Nsuta, Darmang and Ngyiresi, which are NPP’s strongholds, had problems with the machines.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Prof. Dominic Fobih, who expressed worry about development, said he will not rush to comment but will wait for some time to monitor the situation.

Eligible voters were seen participating in the exercise at various centers at SSNIT Flats, Roman Catholic Primary at Komenda and some parts of Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) constituency.

As at 10:00 am, the registration centres had not registered about 20 voters since the officers were slow and others were not conversant with the machines.

It was observed that the education by EC was not enough, a situation which prevented most people from registering.