Voters photo taking exercise starts in Kumasi Metropolis

Kumasi, April 30, GNA - The photo taking exercise for the issuance of voters' identification cards by the Electoral Commission (EC), in the Kumasi Metropolis took off smoothly on Friday.

Returning officers, laminators and cameramen at a number of polling stations the GNA visited said there was no rush by registered voters to take their pictures, and that all requisite materials were dispatched to the various stations by the EC before 7am, and in the right quantities too.

They were all unanimous that the only problem being encountered was the general complain that the pictures were in black and white instead of colour.

The returning officers and laminators, however, said while some complained about the black and white nature of the pictures, others also fully endorsed it, saying that the pictures were clear, bright and well done.

Mr Peter Agorigo who was at one of the polling stations to have his picture taken, told the GNA that since the voters ID cards were to be used for other equally important national exercises rather than for voting purpose alone, it would have been fair to have it in colour instead of the black and white.

When the GNA got to the Presbyterian Primary polling station, Miss Alice Oti Agyemang, the returning officer, disclosed that 42 voters had had their pictures taken as at 9.55 am.

She gave the figure of registered voters at the station as 530. Forty registered voters had also had their pictures taken as at 10 am at the Adum Presby Nursery. Total figure of registered voters was however not mentioned.

Meanwhile, at the Railways Police station at Nsuase, Mr Nicholas Assam, a laminator, said by 10.20am pictures of 89 voters had already been taken, with their voters ID cards issued to them. The number of registered voters at the station stands at about 1,400, he said.

When the GNA got to the TB Royal Palm polling station at Adum, at 10.40 am, Miss Theresa Osei Konadu, a laminator said 45 people had their pictures already taken, adding that the station had a total of 1,156 registered eligible voters.