IPRAN To Declare Citizens Arrest for NIA Officials, if Registration Continues after 48hrs

The Inter-Party1 Resistance Against the New Voter Register has taken a very sad and grievous note of the unfortunate outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID19) disease into the country. The COVID19 which had been declared a global pandemic has infected over 200,000 people globally and about 11 confirmed cases in just a week after the outbreak in Ghana according to the Ministry of Health.

The outbreak of the pandemic in Ghana has received some national attention leading to a Presidential directive on the ban of all public gathering including church service, Islamic prayers and so on. All schools from the basic level to the tertiary level have all been closed down.

In a very bizarre twist, the National Identification Authority an institution operating under office of the President is brazenly violating the directives of the President without recourse, the repercussion on precarious public health situation in the country. We have seen a lackadaisical attempt by the Ghana Police Service to enforce the Presidential directive by arresting a couple of people who have flouted the directives and congregated, including some two religious leaders. What is mind boggling is the reason why government and the Ghana Police Service are unable to enforce the directive in respect of the NIAs blatant disregard of the public health directive.

It our considered view that, the President is fully complicit in this violation of his own directive. IPRAN believes that the fight against this deadly disease is a collective one and for that matter, the need to protect each other is also a collective responsibility.

For that matter, IPRAN is by this statement issuing a 48 hours ultimatum to the National Identification Authority, the Ghana Police Service and President Akufo Addo to stop or cause to stop the mass Ghana Card registration exercise in the Eastern Region. Failure of which shall leave the Resistance with no choice than to issue a declaration for mass citizens arrest of all NIA officials conducting the exercise in the Eastern Region.

If the government fails to protect the people from this deadly disease, then the people must not fail themselves. We must take full responsibility of our lives and protect each other.

We encourage fellow citizens, to observe highest level of personal hygiene in this perilous times and remain vigilant whiles we necessarily endeavor to comply with the public health directives issued by the Ministry of Health.

.....Signed.....
Comrade Bernard Mornah
(On behalf of the Inter Party Resistance Against the New Voter Register)