Mahama Urges Muslim Leaders To Encourage Biometric Registration

The Vice President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, has urged Muslim leaders across the country to encourage their youth in the Zongos and other Muslim communities to partake fully, in the upcoming biometric voter registration exercise, in order to ensure that they are not disenfranchised during the December general elections.

He also entreats the leaders to allay fears among the communities because the biometric registration is just like the normal registration processes they go through every four years.

Mr. Mahama made the remark when the National Chief Imam and the National Council of Muslim Chiefs paid a courtesy call on him at the castle, Osu.

The Vice President, however, pledges government support to ensure that land is acquired for the construction of an Islamic University to be sponsored by the Islamic World League, as requested by National Council of Muslim Chiefs.

“My office has discussed that with the Minister for Lands, to find a suitable place for such laudable project”. The Vive President assured.

He encouraged the Muslim leaders to advise members of their communities who are interested in attending the next Hajj to respect the deadline given by the Committee to avoid late considerations, which seems to be the major bottleneck to the entire Hajj processes.

A Conveyor for the Muslim Leaders, Chief Imoro Baba Issah, on his part, commended government for the significant improvement in the management and organization of the Hajj and its tremendous support to the Muslim communities across the country.

They appealed for government’s support for Muslims in Ghana, to secure membership of the Islamic Development Bank, because other African countries are taking advantage of their membership to secure massive investments for developments.

The Muslim leaders also expressed their unhappiness at the situations where their children in some second cycle institutions in the country, are made to comply and conform to Christian norms; and are badly treated if they refuse.

“This we believe, is a complete violation of their fundamental human rights and discrimination as stated in Article 17(2) and (3) of the 1992 constitution”. Chief Imoro Issah stressed.

Members of the delegation included the Chief Iman, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Shar’butu, as well as Imams and leaders of the Muslim/Zongo communities from the ten regions of Ghana.