Hohoe (V/R), July 27, GNA - Leaders of communities including chiefs and governmental agencies along Ghana's eastern frontier have called for a proper demarcation of the country's borderline with the Republic of Togo ahead of any National Identification Registration exercise. They held that since identification exercises are expected to provide a reliable database on the country's human and material resources, the government must expedite action to resolve all border conflicts to pave way for its smooth implementation.
The frontiers should also be closed during when the identification exercise takes off in full swing, they said at a workshop in Hohoe on Wednesday.
The workshop, which discussed the dynamics of border regions in the implementation of the upcoming National Identification System (NIS) registration nationwide, was organised by the Volta Regional House of Chiefs with financial support by the NIS.
The participants were unanimous that apart from ensuring a credible identification exercise, a proper demarcation of the frontiers would expose any encroachment and intrusion of Ghana's territory by neighbours.
During the discussions, Nana Aburam Akpandja IV, Omanhene of Buem Traditional Area, alleged persistent encroachment of Ghana's borderline demarcation pillars by Togolese officials, especially at Jinjisu and Peyuo.
He said after the encroachment, the Togolese hoist their national flag on the intruded areas.
Another participant, Togbega Agboka VI, Paramount Chief of Leklebi Traditional Area, said his area suffered from similar intrusions by the Togolese, especially at Adele Kue and Agormetormegbe. The participants unanimously called on the government to fly national flags in communities along Ghana's frontiers to ward off future intruders.
Professor Ernest Dumor, Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA) said his outfit envisages a problem at the eastern frontier because of its historical antecedents and geographical linkages between Ghana and Togo.
He said the Authority recognises the crucial role chiefs and other opinion leaders to the successful implementation of the exercise, hence the promulgation of a legislation to empower them to play a lead function in advocacy, as well as in others yet to be ascribed. He said the project is all-inclusive and non-discriminatory and that it would provide a unique service infrastructure to facilitate alignment and leverage for existing community resources to improve education, health and development activities.
Reiterating the significance of the national identification project, Mr Chris Kwesi Bogart, Public Education Specialist of NIA, said lack of accurate, reliable and easy accessible database robbed the Bank of Ghana a colossal nine billion cedis in forgery deals annually, coupled with the ghost names phenomenon among others.
He said the proposed identity cards would have enough security measures to make it difficult for duplication and that a law was being promulgated to make it a crime to register twice.
Togbega Gabusu VI, President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs blamed successive governments for "tactically withdrawing the powers of traditional leaders", rendering them almost inactive before their subjects.
He called for the reversion of the authority to chiefs to fortify the chieftaincy institution and its structures to enable it to complement government's efforts at development. Togbega Gabusu entreated Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to fast track street and house numbering and coding exercises to facilitate easy identification and registration of members of the general public.
Mr Albert Agrah, Presiding Member of the Hohoe District Assembly, expressed the hope that the project would promote good governance, create a safe society and facilitate effective national development. 27 July 06
