919,710 get photo ID cards out of 985,807 in Brong Ahafo

Sunyani (B/A) April 28, GNA - Brong Ahafo scored 93.3 per cent in the recent photo-taking exercise for voters identification cards as 919,710 out of a total number of 985,807 registered voters were issued with the photo cards.

According to statistics made available to Ghana News Agency by the regional office of the Electoral Commission (EC), a total of 66,106 of the registered voters were not captured in the photo taking exercise. Mr. Amadu Sulley, Regional Director of the EC however, told Ghana News Agency on Wednesday in an interview that, five or more cameras would be provided in each of the region's 13 districts for a mopping up exercise after all the regions have been covered.

"This will ensure that all registered voters in the 19 constituencies are captured in the photo-taking exercise", he added. The statistics show that Asunafo North Constituency recorded the highest of 97.0 per cent coverage in the photo exercise as 52,866 out of the 54,481 registered people were issued with photo ID cards.

Tano North constituency had the lowest coverage of 85.4 per cent as 28,008 out of 31,804 registered voters turned up for the photo ID cards. The rest of the constituencies however, recorded impressive turnouts as the majority of them recorded above 90 per cent coverage, with only the Tain and Pru constituencies recording 89.6 and 89.6 per cent coverage.

At the Asunafo South constituency, there were 35,181 registered voters but 32,539 of them were issued with the photo ID cards, recording 92.5 per cent coverage.

Asutifi North captured 20,011 out of 21,471 registered voters, representing 93.2 per cent, while in Asutifi South, out of the 22,599 registered, 21,494 were issued with the photo ID cards, chalking 95.1 per cent coverage.

Tano South had 34,571 registered voters but only 32,441 showed up, representing 93.8 per cent, whilst 59,270 out of the 62,760 voters in Sunyani East were captured in the photo exercise, representing 94.4 per cent.

The Regional EC's statistics show that Sunyani West had 47,192 voters but only 44,134 of them came for the photo ID card, recording 93.5 per cent coverage, while at Berekum out of the 60,361 registered persons, 58,070 had their photos taken, a 96.2 per cent coverage.

Out of the 24,664 persons who registered in the Dormaa East constituency, 23,333 of them took the photo ID cards, representing 94.6 per cent, while 55,449 of the 58,981 registered persons in Dormaa West had their photographs taken, a 94.0 per cent coverage.

Jaman North and South respectively registered 34,544 and 42,905 persons in the registration exercise but could capture 31,435 and 38,995 of them in the photo-taking exercise, representing 91.0 and 90.9 per cent coverage respectively.

In the Wenchi constituency 41,663 out of the 44,908 registered persons took the photos, representing 92.8 per cent, while 28,050 of Techiman North's 30,206 registered voters were issued with the photo ID cards, representing 92.9 per cent.

Out of the 71,019 registered persons in Techiman South, 67,585 of them were captured in the photo exercise, recording 95.2 per cent coverage, while Nkoranza North had on record that 22,367 out of the 23,746 registered voters took the photo, representing 94.2 per cent coverage.

Nkoranza South had registered 42,526 persons but 40,067 out of them took their photo, recording 94.2 per cent coverage, while 36,520 out of the 38,653 voters in Kintampo North were issued with their photo ID cards, representing 94.5 per cent.

In Kintampo South, out of the 31,349 registered persons 29,200 of them were issued with photo ID cards, 93.1 per cent coverage. The Atebubu/Amantin Constituency had 35,437 registered persons but 32,270 of them came for their photos, a 91.1 per cent coverage, with Pru Constituency with its 52,098 registered persons, had 46,160 of them being issued with their photo ID cards, an 88.6 percent coverage. Sene Constituency had 37,675 people registered but only 35,970 of them took their photo ID cards, representing 95.5 per cent.

Another Witness, Mr Chares Badu Ansong, said his business in cosmetics was grounded after soldiers arrested and molested him following the June 4 1979 military coup.

Mr Ansong said he owned the C B Ansong Agencies in Okaishie in Accra. One day after the coup, soldiers surrounded the whole of Okaishie, and prevented porters from carting a load of cosmetic items from a truck to his store.

He said three soldiers rushed on him and his driver and made them laid on the ground and gazed at the sun. He said they suspected he had hoarded the goods.

He said other soldiers who came on the scene made them go through tougher punishments, from crawling on the road, to slapping each other. He said the soldiers gave them heftier slaps from behind, when they thought the slaps were not strong, and they consequently had black eyes. The slapping which, was in the form of a contest, took about an hour, and the soldiers awarded him two marks for his slaps that sent his driver down twice.

The soldiers then drove them to the King Tackie Tawiah Lane, where they met other traders, and then bundled them and eight other traders into an armoured vehicle to the Five BN at Burma Camp, and detained 35 of them in a guardroom.

Witness said he and his driver were detained for five days, during which they were also brought before a kangaroo court, and asked the source of his goods.

Mr Ansong said a soldier once attempted to shoot them when he was told that they were "kalabule" people, people who sold above government controlled price.

He said the soldier then went away but came back with a flexible cable and flogged them Witness said on his return, soldiers had seized the goods in the truck, and they came back and sold the remaining goods at "controlled" price, and gave him the scanty proceeds.

Mr Ansong, who said he had four children by then said he could not go back to the business as a result of poverty, prayed the Commission to recommend an appropriate compensation for him.

Mr Raymond Bennard Konadu, another Witness, prayed the Commission to recommend a long service award instead of his earlier plea of reinstatement at the Tema Shipyard and Drydock Corporation. The Commission was blunt that there was no way it could recommended the former Accounts Officer who said he resigned amid objections from Management to allow his resignation at a time of an internal probe in the company.

Witness said after an exposure of a financial deal in the Stores Department, for which the culprits were put before the public tribunal and jailed, he was frequently transferred to other sections by Mr E S A Moncar the Chief Accountant.

Mr Konadu said the Mr Moncar replaced him with a nephew of his to deprive him of a scholarship he was to enjoy for further studies in Malta.

The Witness said when he spoke about his frequent transfers to his boss, Mr Moncar, he walked him out and threatened to slap him, and followed it with query in which he accused him of insubordination. He after he replied to the query, Mr Moncar had him arrested by the Police and placed in Ports Police Station for threatening him. Witness said he was released on the intervention of the then Head of State, Flt- Lt. Jerry Rawlings.

He said he resigned two weeks after he was released, amidst protest from Management because of an on-going probe.

Members of the Commission stated their displeasure over a letter in which Mr Konadu was said to have described his boss as ineffective and inefficient in detecting financial deals.

They advised the Witness who had called on senior officers to consider suggestions of junior staff, to humble himself, as he worked with people and try best to improve his skills in his accounting field.