Voter registration: Govt admonishes stakeholders to observe coronavirus protocols

Government has called on all stakeholders in the ongoing voters registration exercise to observe the COVID-19 protocols.

Speaking at Thursday’s press briefing in Accra, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said though the various stakeholders like the Electoral Commission (EC), the security agencies and the larger Ghanaian population are doing their best to comply with these protocols, more has to be done to make sure the country does not record a spike in numbers.

“Government acknowledges the efforts of the electoral commission and security agencies to ensure that preventive etiquette including social distancing and wearing of masks is observed by persons who visit registration centers. But we believe more can be done by all stakeholders [like the] electoral commission, the security agencies and citizens who are visiting these centers especially in the cities and in the cosmopolitan areas.

“In the outskirt, you will find that there is a lot more observation and social distancing but in the cities and cosmopolitan areas where the population is high, in people’s rush, you will still find people who are not observing these protocols,” he said.

According to Mr Nkrumah, it is worrying that there is some level of laxity in respect for the COVID-19 health and safety protocols, particularly the lack of social distancing at some registration centres.

This call follows several reports on the neglect of COVID-19 protocols by persons who visit registration centres to register for their voters ID cards.

Though the EC and security agencies have rolled out measures to make sure people obey preventive etiquette at the various registration centers, the government encourages them to step up these measures.

“The government can only do a certain number of things for you. Close the borders, impose restrictions on some activities pass laws that people should wear their masks and do a lot of public education but you as a citizen also have a responsibility.

“You have a personal responsibility to ensure that you observe social distancing no matter the excuse or no matter the desire whether it is to register or to do something else, you must wear the masks. So while we acknowledge that some are complying, the EC, the Police and some citizens are doing their best, we think that a lot more needs to be done,” he added.