The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei Mensah has urged residents in the region to take advantage of the upcoming voter registration exercise by the Electoral Commission to get their names on the voter roll for the 2020 elections.
He also asked those who have turned 18 years to participate in the exercise so that they could get their names on the roll as well as get access to identity cards for other things that require the use of same.
Addressing the media in Kumasi on Wednesday, the Regional Minister noted that anyone whose name does not appear on the EC’s register after its compilation cannot cast a ballot to elect either a President or Member of Parliament (MP) on December 7.
According to him, only persons who make themselves available to be captured on the voter roll by the EC during the registration exercise would have access to a new voter card which would be issued on the spot.
‘’I must make it clear that the upcoming voter registration exercise is for the benefit of all Ghanaians because those who would participate in same would have the new card that would be used for voting and other purposes that may require the use of same’’, Mr Mensah stated.
ARGUMENTS:
The regional minister dismissed claims that the impending registration exercise was absurd and without merit.
According to him, incumbent presidents in the history of Ghana made sure new voter rolls were compiled during their tenure when the EC requested to do so.
He also argued that nothing stops the EC from compiling a new register when they find the existing one problematic.
Mr Osei Mensah therefore appealed to persons who had attained the age of 18 and above to take advantage of the registration exercise and get their names captured on the voter album.
CRIME RATE:
Answering questions on the crime rate in Ashanti, the regional minister said the Regional Security Council is committed to rooting out same from the region.
The Police, he noted have been conducting periodic swoops at places they identify as hideouts for criminals.
He noted that some prostitutes who were illegally operating in the Asafo market area had been arrested and stopped from operating any further.
He called on the media to relay information on the incidences of crime to the appropriate authorities so they could tackl and deal with same promptly.
