Low turnout characterises Ghana Card distribution exercise

In a bid to ensure that some 3 million registered Ghanaians receive their Ghana card ahead of the planned new voters register compilation by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, the mass distribution of cards currently underway has been characterised by low turnout in some various centers across the country.

This was confirmed in a visit by GhanaWeb to some distribution centers in Accra, on Monday, June 15, 2020, six days after the exercise began.

Atomic DC Basic school

At the Atomic DC Basic school, an officer at the center, Terence Nana Dennis told GhanaWeb that out of 115 cards issued to the Centre, only 18 have been claimed so far by their owners.

He added that his center and in extension others have had to resort to calling individuals on phone to inform them that their cards are ready for collection.

“What I have in the booklet is 300 hundred but formally I had 115 but now it’s left with 95 so I think 18 have come for it,” he said.

He, however, expressed hope that having called all the applicants on phone, they will turn up to receive their cards as the exercise nears it's final days.

Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Center

At the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Center, the SRO, Mr Anokyi Duah Evans said the exercise so far has been very slow in terms of attendance. He, however, mentioned that the numbers have gradually been picking up after calls were placed to the applicants.

On the number of cards issued so far, Mr. Duah said about 62 cards were issued to the Centre out of which about 25 have been claimed.

He also indicated that a good number of the people who have come through the Centre for their cards have had to go home without them, as their cards are yet to be provided to the Centre for delivery.

Aunty Mary Center, Dome

GhanaWeb also visited the Aunty Mary Center in Dome where just like the other centers, the exercise was recording very low turnout.

The team spent close to an hour at the center but did not record any applicant coming to the center for their Ghana card even though the center has been issued with a good number of cards for distribution.

The NIA on Wednesday, June 10, started a mass distribution exercise of Ghana cards to applicants in 5,635 registration centers across the country and is expected to end on Thursday, June 18, 2020.