Regional News of Thursday, 3 July 2008

Source: GNA

National Identification Registration facing problems in Agona East

Agona Nsaba (C/R), July 3, GNA- Registration Officers of the National Identification Registration exercise and their technical personnel in the Agona East District of the Central Region are facing problems with their work, due to the mal-functioning of their computers.

This came to light when Mr Dennis Armah-Frempong, District Chief Executive (DCE), visited some centres at Agona Nsaba and Seth Okai to acquaint himself with the progress of the two weeks exercise. At Nsaba Post Office, Mr Lawrence Kettey, Registration Officer told the DCE that he and his technical staff had not worked for two days because code numbers for the computer could not function on the first and second days.

At about 1045 hours, on the second day when the DCE got to the centre, Mr Kettey said more than "30 people who went to the centre were asked to come the next day.'

The Registration Officer said a message has been sent to the officials of the National Identification Authority at Agona Swedru to remedy the situation to enable them to work.

Mr Kettey said at 11 centres at Agona Nsaba and surrounding areas, Registration Officers were sitting idle and that this could hamper the completion of the exercise in two weeks.

The situation at the Nsaba Methodist Church was no different, Mr Kojo Forson Appiah, Registration Officer told Mr Armah-Frempong that on the first day of the exercise, they registered 80 people but later detected that the code numbers on the computer were not working. He said this stopped them from working further, though the cameras and other gadgets were functioning.

Mr Appiah however said, apart from the problems on the computers, accommodations and allowances for the personnel had been provided at Nsaba and other towns.

At the Seth Okai, Registration Centre, Officials said the same problem of code numbers had stopped them from working even though people were patronising the exercise.

Mr Armah-Frempong assured the Registration Officers and their technical personnel that Officials of the NIA were working around the clock to enable them to work effectively. He urged the people not to politicise the exercise, since it was meant for national development and had nothing to do with the December Presidential and Parliamentary elections as some people perceive.