Over 400 students prevented from registering in Eastern region

Europa 13:29 - 02 May 2016

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The MCE and his entourage claimed the students were not 18 years, hence, not qualified to register.

About five hundred (500) students from Benkum Senior High school, Larteh Akuapem, have been prevented from registering as first time voters in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise by the Electoral Commission.

The students had moved to the Larteh Methodist Primary School registration centre to have their names captured by the electoral officers when the Municipal Chief Executive of the Akuapem North Municipality, in the Eastern Region, Hon George Opare Addo notified the Regional Minister of the students at the centre.

The regional minister, Mavis Ama Frimpong, subsequently called the Headmaster of the School and ordered him to withdraw his students from the centre amidst protests from the teachers who had accompanied the students to the centre.

This incident created a misunderstanding between the MCE and the NPP officers who were around the centre.

The NPP Parliamentary candidate for the Akuapem North Constituency, Nana Ama Dokua Asiama Adjei, who was called to the scene bemoaned the conduct of the MCE. She argued that there is general advocacy for persons who have turned 18years to participate in this basic civil responsibility, hence the the MCE was wrong in disallowing the said students to register.

One of the teachers, Eric Opare, who accompanied the students to the centre said that movement of the students to the registration centre was official.

"The school bus conveyed the students to the centre. And that as a matter of fact, administration screened the ages of the entire students body and these were found to have qualified to be registered to be able to exercise their franchise come November 7," he said.

The Akuapem North constituency NPP Youth Organizer, Mr Denis Miracles Aboagye who was at the centre at the time of incident said the MCE could have asked the NDC agents to challenge all these students after registration for the age matter to be determined by the Electoral Dispute Court instead of physically disallowing them to register.

Attempts to reach the Akuapem North Municipal EC officer were not successful.

Meanwhile a statement from the Eastern Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party signed by the Regional Chairman Kiston Akomeng Kissi has warned the Eastern regional Minister, Ms. Mavis Ama Frimpong and Akuapem North Municipal, George Opare Addo to desist from interfering with the registration process.

The statement called on the EC to put in place measures to register the affected students.