By Godfred A. Polkuu, GNA
Sandema (U/E), Sept. 15, GNA – Some eligible applicants in the Builsa North Municipality who turned out to register in the on-going limited voter registration exercise at the Electoral Commission’s (EC) office in Sandema were unsuccessful due to network challenge.
The limited registration exercise began on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, and expected to end on Monday, October 2, 2023, for persons who had attained the age of 18 since the last registration exercise and for those who could not register in 2020.
The process started smoothly in the early hours of Thursday, but at about 1600 hours, officials of the EC faced network challenge which compelled applicants, some of whom were in queue to return home.
When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the EC’s office on the third day to monitor the exercise, some applicants were seated in a queue despite the network challenge, with the hope that it would be restored, while others who could not wait left.
The Agency observed that there was order at the office with Police presence as some applicants who were hopeful the network would be restored for the process to continue, sat in groups, and chatted among themselves.
Agents from the main political parties-the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)- were also seated together and chatting among themselves.
Some eligible applicants, who were about leaving the premises of the EC, expressed their frustrations about the situation to the GNA.
Ms Rachel Akpitipulah, an applicant from Suwaransa, a community in the Municipality, who was leaving the premises said: “I was not able to register. The officials said the system is slow.
“I spent GHȻ30.00 on fuel in my motorbike to come here. I am disappointed, but I will return home and come back tomorrow. They should try and work on the network to ease the process,” she said.
Ms Dorothy Akanlang, an applicant from Chuchuliga who successfully went through the process and got her card, said it was a smooth process for her, as the EC officials took her details and eventually issued her with the voter’s identification card.
She said, “From Chuchuliga to Sandema is quite far and the road is not good I spent GHȻ10.00 to come here and will spend same GHȻ10 to go back. If we get a registration centre in Chuchuliga, it will save us the stress and cost.”
Mr Mohammed Sherifdeen Alhassan, the Municipal Director of the EC, told the GNA in an interview that the Commission registered had registered more than 100 people so far.
He said eligible applicants needed either their Ghana Card or their Ghana Passport, and those without any of the identification documents were required to present two registered voters to guarantee their registration.
He said except for the network challenge, the process had so far been smooth, and urged eligible applicants in the area not to wait and come on the last day of the exercise to mount pressure on the EC officials in the municipality.
Mr Albert Ajapoak Atuga, the Constituency Chairman of the NPP, said the Party was so far happy with the process.
He, however, expressed similar concerns about the network situation, “Apart from the network, everything is fine, and we are ok.”
His colleague Chairman from the NDC side, Mr James Achaab, however expressed disappointment about the process.
He said apart from the network issue, there was the need for the EC to decentralise the exercise to make it more accessible to Constituents, especially those from distant communities.
GNA