Elmina records smooth registration

Centres for the biometric voters’ registration exercise in Elmina have so far not recorded any hitch, whilst Cape Coast posts success and disappointments.

When the Ghana News Agency visited Daddies block, SSNIT flat registration centre in Elmina, about 10 people had queued up waiting for their turn to be registered.

Ms. Ophelia Adu Akyea, the registration officer, said 187 people had been registered since the exercise began on Saturday, March 24 hoping that more people would turn up in the evenings after they close from work.

She said their equipment are working perfectly and that there were enough materials for the entire exercise.

At the Etsiapah Methodist registration centre, a lot of people had turned up to be registered as officers were busily attending to them.

Mr. Emmanuel Aryeh, special duty officer, said about 265 people had been registered since Saturday and that registration had been smooth.

At the Antobam Fie registration centre, 352 people had been registered. Mr. Paa Kow Martin, officer in charge, said all valid identification cards were accepted and those without any came along with guarantors.

Political party representatives were present at the three centres the GNA visited.

In Cape Coast, supervisors at some registrations centres said they have had few challenges but the numbers of people were increasing by the day.

At Amanful cluster-five registration centre, the supervisor, Mr. Augustine Thompson , said the mobile work station had a few problems on the first day and he had to call the Electoral Commission (EC) for replacement

He said on Saturday, March 24, they were able to register 123 voters, 198 on Sunday and about 40 people as at 09.48 hours on Monday when the GNA got there.

At the Saint Nicholas basic school at Adisadel electoral area, Mr. Sheldrick Bart-Addison, the centre’s supervisor, said 91 people were registered on Saturday because the people were not aware of the venue.

He said on Sunday March 25, they were able to register 131 people with majority of them being students of the Adisadel College and as at 1100hours on Monday, they had registered 50 people with a lot more in a queue.

At the Pedu basic school, registration officers including the supervisor were so busy that they could not speak to the GNA.

A visit to the Cape Coast Castle centre revealed that registration was on-going despite some challenges that delayed the exercise which started around 0800hrs.

Mr. Suley Ali Shaibu, a registration officer, said 35 people had been registered as at 10.00hours on Monday.

Mr. Kwaku Egyir, a fisherman told the GNA that they had difficulties locating their various centres and pleaded for the centre’s location to be announced.

Mr. Richard Mensah Attah, a registration officer at the Philip Quarcoe Boys School Centre, told the GNA that the first day saw a massive attendance with 94 people registered.

He expressed concern that some people were ignorant about pieces of information needed from them like home town and residential address.

Mr. Richard Aquah, Officer in charge of the Cape Coast Town Hall Centre, said 175 people were registered whilst 35 were recorded as at 08.45hrs.

He said the only problem they encountered was lack of knowledge of residential addresses of some people which were out of their territory.

Mrs. Araba Mensah, a trader, observed that the process was slow because the registration officers lacked experience and that was apparent by the way they struggle on the computer key board.

She said the EC should have recruited persons with fast typing skills to help quicken the process.

When contacted, the Deputy Regional Director of EC, Mr. Siribour Quaicoe, confirmed that almost all the technical hitches have been corrected.

He said 561 machines were in operation in the Region with all of them in very good condition and expressed optimism that the exercise will be successful as Party Officials have been very helpful with monitoring.**