News Guide Africa

Tag: Electoral Commission

  • Possible Bloodshed if Ghana Card for Elections 2024, EC Chair Must Step Down 

    Possible Bloodshed if Ghana Card for Elections 2024, EC Chair Must Step Down 

    Hon Hadji Mustaphar writes..

    The tone for the rejection of the 2024 outcome of the election is being fueled by government in collaboration with the Electoral Commission of Ghana.

    This is rightly so due to recent pronouncement by some Government and NPP members as it appears the EC is craftily being seen as the main Architect.

    The Vice President Dr Alhaji Mahmoud Bawumia during one of his numerous Public Lectures openly stated that, it is likely the next Polls in 2024 would be base on the Ghana card as a primary voting document and also for registration in the limited exercise.

    The NIA recently clash with the EC over the matter, where the Authority believe it has not sanctioned the EC to tease any such information either to Government or stakeholders in the Country’s electoral body.

    Though a counter rebuttal by officials at the Commission has been done some Ghanaians says their have their doubt.

    The National Chairman Of the NDC, Hon Samuel Ofosu Ampofo on August 05/08/2022, signed a statement issued on behalf of the party and reassuring the Good People of Ghana about the NDC’s readiness to resist any attempt by the EC to use the Ghana card as polling requirement in 2024.

    Dear Fellow Countrymen , it is obvious and dubious on the part of President Nana Addo, Dr. Mahmoud Bawumia and EC chairperson Jean Mensah is that, these trio state institutions, are capable and more than capable to surprise the populace by coming out later to announce the issuance of the Ghana card to vote, though earlier denial has been made by the Commission.

    It is very instructive to note that, between May and June , through to July ending of 2022. Ghanaians have been bombarded with contriving rumours of a possible usage of the Ghana card to vote in 2024.

    The Minority in Parliament led by Hon Haruna Iddrisu (MP) and the caucus held an emergency media briefing to cautioned the EC to desist from using the Ghana card for the elections in next Year. The NIA has revealed that only about 17 Million Ghanaians have registered for the Ghana card. A which according to experts is wilfully inadequate.

    Per the last Housing and Population Census conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service, Government statistician Professor Samuel Kwabena Anim said the Provisional data shows that Ghana’s Population currently stand at 30.8 Million. However, a calculation and analysis between figures from the NIA as such July ending in 2022 and data according to the Country’s Population portrays a huge gap between NIA card holders in the minority as against the rest of the population who are yet to acquire the Ghana card.

    As citizens each and every Ghanaian owes it a fundamental duty to protect the sanctity of the constitutional  right and our democracy.

    The Minister of Communication Hon Ursla Owusu Akufful, (MP) said at a press conference that her outfit interest is for all Ghanaians to re register their SIM before 30th September, 2022 which has become a subject of public discourse.

    If need Government is really concern about the need for the citizenry to merged their SIM cards to the data base on the NIA is what matters most, then so be it. After all, it will facilitate the smooth Operation of businesses and give respite to Ghanaians in the activities of criminals who prey on fraud and robbery through the use SIM cards via the Telcos. And on my honest sincerity this would offer some form of Protection and build Public Trust.

    The EC is scheming once again to rig the 2024 Polls, like the Commission did in 2020 for the NPP. And the evidence is clear without any ambiguity.

    As a stakeholder in the country and avowed citizen on whose taxes the Commission rely to undertake its operations and activities, am using this medium to vehemently oppose to the use of the Ghana card for the next Polls. To wit the EC must desist from any machinations which seem to be setting the way for a possible bloodshed and anarchy even before the party’s involve at IPAC as well as diplomatic missions abroad begin to doubt the outcome and Credibility of an election which is becoming the heartbeat of Ghana’s Economic freedom and growth.

    Hon Hadji Mustaphar

    0248003664/0505759315

    Communication Officer Hopeful, Dome Kwabenya Constituency NDC.

    Greater Accra Region

  • Defining Citizenship On Ethnic Affiliation Or Language: The Nonsense Must Stop!

    Defining Citizenship On Ethnic Affiliation Or Language: The Nonsense Must Stop!

    By Adnan Adams Mohammed

    Who Is A Ghanaian: 

    According to the Citizenship Act 2000 (section 7):

    “A person is a citizen of Ghana by birth if he was born on 7th January 1993 or born after that date in or outside Ghana and at the date of his birth either of his parents or one grandparent was or is a citizen of Ghana.”

    Per this legal definition, every Ghanaian who attained 21 years on after January 7th, 2022, is a Ghanaian by birth. It does not matter the ethnic affiliation, ability to speak or understand any acclaimed Ghanaian dialect.

    With such simple, straightforward and concise definition of who is a Ghanaian, yet, some of us, Muslims Right Activist, have recorded a series and continuous observations and complains made with grave concerns at which some state officials and individuals are abusing the legal and civic right of citizenship verification of some Ghanaians.

    It is sad and an act of highest level of ignorance for a ‘supposed’ trained state official to verify the nationality of a person based on ethnic affiliation or ability to speak a known local language or dialect.

    It has been observed that, these acts of human right and identity abuse are commonly perpetuated by state officials during national identification registration exercise and passport acquisition at the Passport Office, National Identification Authority, Electoral Commission, Birth and Death Department who are supposed to be well trained and well versed in definition and use of best approach to ascertain to verify nationality of some suspicious persons. Their officials commonly ask the registrant, who mostly Muslims, of their hometown or tribe or the Ghanaian language they can speak before approving or disapproving their nationality.

    Mostly, these officials harass, intimidate, abuse physically and sexually some targeted group of persons, especially Muslims and those whose ethnic affiliation is not from Ghana.

    Muslims in Ghana, especially our women, have suffered more than enough of continuous and deliberate religious discrimination, harassment and oppression either at the school, workplace, Ghana card registration centers, passport acquisition offices and sometimes in public places such as in ‘trotro’ and intercity buses where pastors Christianised every passenger in the bus.

    In spite of several attempts Muslims in the country have used diplomatic means to draw attention of human right institutions on the increasing violation of Muslims right in the country, we still on daily basis receives complaints of Muslims being treated like aliens in Ghana by supposed religious leaders among whom are elders, pastors, Reverend Fathers, priests and members of one religious denomination to the other. Contrary to what the biblical scriptures expect the genuine believers in the Scriptures must act and behave towards all mankinds and animals.

    Tema Passport Office Assault Case On A Muslim Lady:

    The recent sad event of a Muslim’s right violation happened at the Tema Passport Acquisition office where a Ghanaian Muslim lady was subjected to a humiliating abuse and assault by an immigration service officer paid by the taxes of the same lady he and other accomplices treated and assaulted like how some cruel people will attack a goat that eats his or her last available food.

    The innocent victim, Maryam who has her great grandparents being Ghanaians was subjected to sexual harassment, beatings, kicking, dragged on the floor, her hair cover and footwears removed and seized in the full glare of black Ghanaians and no much attempt were made to save her including a police officer on duty. (Her narration is attached)

    Why is there so high prejudice among passport office and NIA officials that most Muslims are not Ghanaians?

    Cases of Allegations of Sexual Abuse:

    There has been some cases where these unscrupulous and unprofessional officials at passport office had told another officer who was a Muslim, after he questioned him why he was intimidating a Muslim lady, the interviewing official replied that, the Muslim ladies are beautiful and neat so he just want the lady to meet him later outside office before he will approve her for the passport.

    Mostly, some Muslim ladies of other ethnic group not listed as one of the main Ghanaian ethnic group have been subjected to public humiliation, intimidation and harassment, so they feel vulnerable and succumb to all kind of demands from the official who ‘unscrupulously and criminally’ use their position to demand sexual favors from the innocent Ghanaians who are victims of institutionally-created biasness towards their citizenship right.

    The Case of Fulanis, Hausas, Zabrama’s and Songhai’s

    Mostly, people in Ghana from these West African ethnic group but have their grandparents even born or migrated to Ghana during their youth age married and gave birth in Ghana and now having grandchildren in Ghana, have had their children and grandchildren’s citizenship as Ghanaians denied or challenged wrongfully.

    They are deliberately and wholesomely labeled as foreigners. They mostly will have to go through a lot of frustrations and humiliating approach of proving and defending their citizenship.

    Questions begging for answers: 

    Why must a Ghanaian be intimidated and assaulted, by a ‘supposed trained and educated officer’, before his or her nationality can be ascertained.

    Do the Immigration Service officers at the passport office and NIA registration centers have a different definition or approach to ascertain the nationality of who is a Ghanaian contrary to the laws of Ghana?

    Is the Immigration Service having a challenge of training their officers adequately before posting them? If so, then that institutional challenge must be addressed immediately to avoid bringing embarrassment to the Immigration Service.

    Where are the ‘people of conscience’? Why is it a crime to be a Muslim in Ghana? Is it a crime to want to dress and appear modest in a hijab dressing? What is the crime of the Muslim woman?

    The way forward: 

    It is about time we are publicly made aware, if Passport Office and Immigration Service officials have a different definition or approach of determining who is a citizen of Ghana, if so, then they should let us all know that immediately.

    It will be prudently and judiciously right for the whole world to know, if citizenship is in anyway determined by just being able to only speak a local dialect or belonging to the few listed tribes in Ghana?

    The prejudice that, every Muslim is a suspected foreigner in the minds of Passport Office and Immigration Service officials must be completely erased from their memory.

    We Muslims and non-affiliated Ghanaian ethnic groups do not want to hear any issue of harassment, abuse or intimidation by any state official against a Muslim on issue of nationality. Inasmuch as we do not stop any official from performing their duties of ascertaining a nationality of any Muslim in a diplomatic and humble manner.

    Signed:

    Adnan Adams MohammedExecutive Director, MUYAD Social Services

    PDF Copy attached below: