Tema, Nov 18, GNA - The first phase of the Mass Registration Exercise by the National Identification Authority (NIA) within the Greater-Accra Region began in Tema on Wednesday.

During the 10-day period, the exercise would be expected to register about 2.8 million people in the Region.

The registration process was delayed by initial operational challenges including the late arrival of logistics and mal-functioning of some equipment.

By 0730 hours this morning logistics and personnel, including three work stations, had been set up at each registration centre to speed up the process.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited some registration centres in the early hours of the day, officials in most of the centres complained of low batteries to power the mobile registration work station, which comprises a printer, a laptop computer and a digital camera.

This setback slowed down the registration process because both the registration team and some people who had shown up at the centres had to wait for alternative arrangements to be made.

As at 0830 hours when the GNA visited the Redemption Valley Registration Centre in Tema Community Nine, only a handful of applicants had gone through the process.

The situation was the same at the Royal Preparatory School at Community Seven, the SOS Village and the VALCO Registration Centres at Communities Six and 12 respectively.

Registration officials attributed the late start of the exercise to the prolonged delay in the arrival of materials.

Scores of applicants had queued at some centres including the Twedaase Primary School at community One for the exercise.

Dr. William Ahadzie, Executive Secretary of the NIA who was in the Tema Metropolis to access the process, appealed to the public to register within the stipulated period to avoid delays which could pose serious cost implications to the Authority.