By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, Aug.17, GNA–President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for the successful compilation of a voter’s register.
In his 15th national address on Sunday night, President Akufo-Addo said it was worth commending the EC for ensuring a successful mass registration of eligible Ghanaians despite many negativity expressed by naysayers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President attributed the success to the effective measures the EC and Government put in place to ensure the safety of all registrants who went to the various registration centres across the nation to register.
He lauded all those who offered delicate and personal sacrifices in the registration exercise in spite of some « doom prophets » expressing various « degrees of hysteria and negativity towards the exercise » with fear of an « explosion » and huge deaths should the exercise go on.
The President congratulated Mrs Jean Mensa, Chairperson, EC, and her two Deputies, Dr Eric Asare Bossman and Samuel Tettey, and the entire Commission for the efficient, safe and transparent nature of organising the exercise.
« For the first time in the nation’s history Ghanaians were provided with daily updates of the number of eligible voters registered together with specific age,gender,regional breakdowns and breakdown of identity documents.
« The Ghanaian people have, by the conduct of this exercise, demonstrated our commitment, once again, to consolidating our status as a beacon of democracy on the continent and in the world, » the President emphasised.
The President, however, regretted some isolated incidents of violence at some registration centres, which he condemned unreservedly.
He, therefore, urged the Police to deal decisively with those involved in the electoral skirmishes without fear or favour.
President Akufo-Addo encouraged Ghanaians to continue observing the safety and preventive measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus including the washing of hands with soap under running water, frequent wearing of nose masks and complying with the social distancing rule, saying; « We’re not out of the woods yet, and so we should always be on guard ».
The EC started the mass registration exercise on June 30 and ended on August 6,2020 in six phases across more than 33,000 registration centres nationwide.
GNA
SOF
16 Aug. 20
