The Vice-Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Kofi Osei Ameyaw has said the Electoral Commission must not turn itself into Immigration Service declaring through lame processes the citizenship of people in Ghana.
His comment comes in the wake of a new voter registration arrangement that allows a registered voter to guarantee for five people who cannot prove their citizenship.
The EC is particularly concerned that many Ghanaians who do not have Driver’s License, passport or birth certificate as proof of citizenship in the absence of a National Identification System can have a relief by the EC’s proposal, when it rolls out a limited registration exercise coming up in March for those who have turned 18 years.
The Minority has however kicked against the C1 72 currently being scrutinized by the Parliamentary sub-committee.
Commenting on the development on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.3 FM Tuesday, Mr. Osei Ameyaw said if care is not taken the EC will rather by this decision open the flood gate for foreign nationals to infiltrate the Ghanaian register.
“This will allow people to engage in bringing citizens of other countries through the back door ” the Asuogyaman legislator cautioned.
In his estimation, he fears what seems to be an expediency of the process may create over 30 million population with a registered voter population that will hit 20 million, and further questioned how the nation’s resources could be managed in this sense.
He said the EC must guard the scanty resources of the nation and ensure persons who are not entitled to it will not get the opportunity to enjoy it through obscured means.
