Bolgatanga, March 27, GNA - The Voter Identity (ID) Card replacement exercise that started on Wednesday in the Bawku Municipality and Garu-Tempane District is going on peaceful, Mr. Adam Iddrisu, Upper East Regional Director of the Electoral Commission said. "There are enough Officers in Bawku taking care of all the replacement centres and so far patronage has been good and we have had no problems" he said.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, Mr Iddrisu said the exercise was postponed in Bawku and its environs due to the unstable security situation that prevailed there at the time. The National Voter ID replacement exercise started on March 14th and ended on March 23 nationwide. He said the exercise in the area would cover 10 days as was done for the rest of the country since the situation in the area had returned to normal and the curfew hours reduced to allow for longer working hours.
Mr. Iddrisu said when the exercise started nationwide the curfew in Bawku was fixed at 15 hours to 7.00 hours GMT, but had now been improved to 20.00 hours to 5.00 hours GMT. Mr. David Nar-ire, Bawku Municipal Deputy Coordinating Director said the area was calm and many people were moving freely from neighbouring communities to the Bawku market. "I am happy to see men carting their wares to the market. Previously only women used to go to the market on market days but it is different today, everything looks normal," he said.