Schools were reopened for voter registration not exams - NDC claims

The National Democratic Congress has claimed that government's purpose for making all final year students resume classes was purely on political benefits.

Addressing the media today at the party's headquarters in Accra, the NDC claimed the purpose of the resumption was for the government to assemble students for the ongoing voters registration by the Electoral Commission.

Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Director of Elections for the NDC reiterated per the alleged comments by Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information that there might be a possible lockdown after the registration, it confirms the government's intentions.

“It has come to light the decision by government to send final year and Gold track students to school had nothing to do with preparation towards examination but the hidden agenda was to assemble them for registration. We have had the minister of information giving hint that there could be a partial lockdown anytime soon after the registration” He said

He continued “so what is this whole agenda of asking student to go back to school about? Send them back to school under the guise of writing examination. The student are virtually hostages in the schools because their parents are not allowed to them.”

He sent a message of caution to the Electoral Commission, that going ahead to register SHS students without gazetting the designated polling center demonstrate it's illegality.

The party is urging them to operate within its own laws and mandate as outlined in C1 91.

“We reiterate our position that the EC must at all times operate within its laws. To this end, we remind that the EC according to C.I 91 they are required to gazette a designated polling center for 21 days. In the absence of that, any so called registration center be it in a school or elsewhere is illegal.

Meanwhile, the EC has begun a 2 days registration exercise for all eligible SHS students across the country.

According to EC, this registration exercise will take place in all Senior High schools that do not have polling stations within the schools.