Some exhibition officials fail to turn up in Sunyani

Sunyani, Oct. 6, GNA - Some exhibition officials employed by Electoral Commission (EC) to supervise the exhibition of voters registers in Sunyani Municipality have failed to turn up to attend to the numerous voters who thronged the various centres.

During a tour of some of the centres by GNA including Mmeredane JSS centre, there were no officials to attend to the people. Mr Pawiah Ofori, Sunyani Municipal Director of Electoral Commission when contacted on phone said efforts were being made to replace the officials who had failed to turn up and had not given any reasons for their absence.

He said only one of them reported the loss of his sister on Sunday morning and therefore could not participate in the exercise. Nana Aba, a potential voter at the Meredane centre looked disappointed as she complained that she was at the centre on Sunday but did not meet any official and returned on Monday only to face the same problem.

She said she would not go back since she could not waste her money on transportation.

At Nkwabeng Methodist Church centre, only an official was present handling the A and B centres with many people in queues waiting for their turn.

Mr Asare Adu Amankwa, the official told GNA that another exhibition official would be posted there to assist him but he alone had been at the centre since Sunday.

He said he had not been provided with furniture to work and had to stand by a wall to check the names of the many voters, a situation that had not allowed him to take a break.

Mr Amankwa said because the other centres were not operating, most of the voters rushed to the centre to check on their names but leave the place very angry when asked to check at other centres. "Others come here determined to delete the names of dead relatives from the register but when asked to bring evidence or death certificates they go back and never return," Mr Amankwa said. He showed GNA faded photographs of voters in the register and said such voters were given forms to fill and submit them to the Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of the EC.

Madam Mary Donkor, an official at Presbyterian Primary centre said they were supposed to be three officials but only two turned up, stating participation in the exercise was very slow as only 10 out of the 765 voters in the register had so far checked their names. "Most of the voters report of missing ID cards whilst others come for the transfer of their names and are given forms and directed to the Regional EC office for assistance," she said. Madam Donkor appealed to the public to come and ensure their eligibility in Election 2008 and not wait until the last day for the exhibition before rushing to the centres to check their details. 06 Oct. 08