'Machomen' advised to desist from preventing people from registering

Kumasi, March 24, GNA- Machomen allegedly engaged by some political parties to go round registration centres to terrorise and obstruct some eligible Ghanaians from registering have been advised to desist from the undemocratic practice.
Alhaji Othman Yahya, Ashanti Regional chairman of the Zongo Caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who gave the advice, cautioned that unless the political parties and the Electoral Commission (EC) acted fast to check the trend, it could generate into open fights at some centres and mar the laudable exercise.
Alhaji Yahya gave the advice following complains made by some eligible voters mainly "Kaya Yee" or head porter girls that they were threatened and obstructed from registering by some machomen, when they turned out to do so around the Sakafia school registration centre at Sawaba in Kumasi when he accompanied by some key executives of the caucus recently visited some of the registration centres in the Kumasi metropolis.
Those who accompanied the chairman on the visit were Mr Salu Ibrahim, vice-chairman, Alhaji Alhassan Ibn Ibrahim, secretary and Alhaji Alaska Urmah, executive member.
Their visit took them to the registration centres at Ayigya, Aboabo, kentenkrono, Sabon Zongo, Manhyia, Sawaba and Bantama. Alhaji Yahya also cautioned registration officials against the temptation to label some eligible Ghanaians as foreigners and refuse to allow them to register merely on the basis of their names and sort of clothes they put on.
He said it is entirely wrong since the nature of name and clothes cannot be used as basis for determining who is a Ghanaian because Ghanaians are from different ethnic groups with different cultures and names.
Alhaji Yahya commended the national leadership and regional executives of the NDC for the sort of training and motivation packages given the party agents.
He entreated the party agents to reciprocate the gesture by being very vigilant at the registration centres and ensuring that the exercise becomes successful and devoid of any mishaps.