Unruly behaviour in Kumasi Zongo undermining biometric exercise

Unruly conduct by people in some parts of the Zongo communities in Kumasi has become a major worry to the biometric voter registration officers.

Many of them tend to be overly aggressive - jumping queues with impunity.

Mr Ahmed Rufai, Special Duty Officer at the Sakafia Islamic School said this often resulted in scuffles and confusion.

The refusal to comport themselves, he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), was unnecessarily delaying the registration process.

He said some level of sanity needed to prevail to allow for smooth compilation of the new voters’ register.

Notwithstanding, Mr Rufai said the officials were doing everything possible to get the job done.

The centre had as of 1030 hours on Monday, so far registered a total of 245 applicants.

In all, about 1,000 voters are expected to be captured by the end of the exercise.

Registration was going on peacefully at other centres visited by the GNA including the Mallam Adam Islamic School, the Central Mosque, Asafo YF, Afful-Nkwanta, Asafo Upper and Lower Zion, Asafo Moonlight One and Two Registration Centres.

The number of registered voters by noon on Monday at the Mallam Adam Islamic School stood at 231 whilst that of Asafo YF totaled 303.

Present at the centres were agents of the two leading political parties, the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress.**