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EC deployes 44,000 officials for registration exercise
The Electoral Commission (EC) has deployed 44,000 registration officers across the country for the voter registration exercise which commences today.
The officials, according to Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Commission, have been given the appropriate training to be able to carry out the exercise without challenges.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, she noted that the officers have additionally signed an oath to perform their duties in accordance with regulations guiding of the registration exercise to develop a credible register.
“We have recruited, trained and deployed over 44,000 staff into the field. We are confident of the training provided them to operate efficiently and professionally. As part of the training, we have drummed home the importance of instilling in them the principles of integrity, fairness, and transparency in all their activities throughout the registration process.
We have also introduced a code of conduct that spells out guidelines for their activities. As part of the recruitment exercise all temporary staff signed an oath pledging to abide by the rules and regulations governing their activities,” she stated.
Due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, she said, the Commission in partnership with the Ghana Health Service, has further deployed 7, 000 health personnel to ensure strict adherence to the safety protocols.
She urged applicants to comply with the measures to curb the spread of the disease.
The EC, she noted was fully ready for the exercise with 8,000 voters’ biometric kits, which have been tested, already deployed to all the districts.
In addition, 5, 000 technicians would be on the field to provide assistance in the registration process.
She asked all applicants without a passport and Ghana Card to go through the guarantor system to register saying that it had been a trusted part of the registration process over the years despite being burdensome.
“We understand that it may seem like a burden having to find two registered persons to vouch for one’s identity as a Ghanaian and yet it seems to be the lesser of two evils. Although it may take a little more of your time and that of your guarantors, it will ensure that only persons who are guarantors and are 18 years old are enlisted on the voters register,” she said.
Defending the use of the guarantor system, Mrs Mensa said “the system has been part of the verification process for Ghanaians who were unable to provide documentation to prove their citizenship.
Recalling the use of the system in previous exercises, she said, 82.2 per cent of the 928,540 persons registered in 2014 by the commission used the guarantor system while in 2016, 92.5 per cent of the 1,046,067 registered used guarantors.
She noted that in continuous registration in 2016, 37,929 persons were registered with 93.1 per cent using guarantors, 99.5 per cent of 47,852 persons registered for the referendum in 2018 while 95.2 per cent of the 1,211,395 persons registered in the limited registration exercise used guarantors.
“My predecessors have applied this system in the past as they have sought to ensure that no one is disenfranchised for valid reasons beyond their control,” Mrs Mensa assured.
She urged all Ghanaians to participate in the new registration exercise adding that, “Ghanaians should join hands to ensure that every deserving person is able to register as a voter.”
She said since a credible register was the bedrock of any democracy, it was critical to maintain the integrity of the register and asked that any anomaly at any registration centre should be brought to the notice of the Commission.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Firefighters from the Upper West Regional Command have responded to a vehicular incident involving a long vehicle carrying 35 Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC totes) reportedly containing hydrogen peroxide at Goriyiri in the Nadowli-Kaleo District.
The five-member crew, led by ASTNO Balagee, reported to the scene where a fire and an explosion had reportedly occurred.
The firefighters assessed the scene, identified the chemical hazards and implemented appropriate response measures, bringing the situation under control.
The driver reportedly sustained severe chemical burns and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Dr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, spokesperson to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has called on the government and Parliament to undertake major reforms in Ghana’s prison system, including the construction of a dedicated prison hospital and the introduction of regulated conjugal visits.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Dr Boakye-Danquah shared Chairman Wontumi’s observations and recommendations following his remand on July 20, 2026.
According to the statement, Chairman Wontumi’s experience in prison has given him the opportunity to interact with prison officers and inmates and observe the challenges facing the Ghana Prisons Service.
The statement noted that the NPP chairman believes the correctional system must move beyond punishment to focus on rehabilitation, welfare and productivity.
One of his major concerns is the lack of dedicated, well-equipped prison hospitals, ambulances and standby generators in several prison facilities.
Dr Boakye-Danquah said Chairman Wontumi had raised concerns about the difficulties in providing medical care to seriously ill inmates, including those suffering from tuberculosis.
He is therefore calling for the construction of a modern prison hospital to serve facilities across the country. In the interim, he has proposed emergency arrangements with the 37 Military Hospital and the Police Hospital.
On the welfare of prison officers, Chairman Wontumi has urged the government to review their salaries, accommodation and conditions of service.
He has also called for proper classification of inmates, arguing that minor offenders should not be housed alongside armed robbery convicts and that persons facing trial for serious offences, including treason and terrorism, should be appropriately separated from other inmates.
The statement further highlighted concerns about the need for counselling and behavioural support for young inmates, particularly those serving sentences for defilement-related offences.
Chairman Wontumi has also called for a clear policy on the classification and management of LGBTQI+ inmates within the prison system.
On family relationships, he has proposed the creation of designated private areas where prisoners can receive visits from their spouses and children.
He believes regulated conjugal visits could help preserve marriages, reduce tension among inmates and support rehabilitation.
“The prisoner is the one in prison, not the children or spouse,” the statement noted, explaining his position on the need to protect family relationships during incarceration.
Chairman Wontumi has appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support prison farms with the necessary equipment to improve food production.
According to the statement, the Ghana Prisons Service has access to vast lands and skilled labour but faces a shortage of agricultural equipment, with only one tractor reportedly available for farming and garbage-related activities.
He has further proposed greater collaboration between prison authorities and the justice sector, suggesting that regional prison commanders should be included in relevant discussions because of their knowledge of prison conditions and inmate rehabilitation.
On infrastructure, Chairman Wontumi has called on the government and private sector to invest in modern prison facilities and factories, arguing that the system has seen limited structural improvements over the years.
Appeal to Parliament
Dr Boakye-Danquah said Chairman Wontumi had made a special appeal to Parliament to lead efforts towards comprehensive prison reform.
He is urging the Speaker of Parliament to initiate discussions on prison conditions as a human rights and national development issue.
He has also called on the Majority and Minority caucuses to work together to pass a new Prison Reform Act and approve funding for a dedicated prison hospital, ambulance services, standby generators and agricultural equipment.
Additionally, he wants the Parliamentary Select Committees on Defence and Interior, Health, and Food and Agriculture to undertake working visits to prisons across the country to assess conditions firsthand.
According to the statement, Chairman Wontumi believes bipartisan cooperation between the Majority and Minority caucuses is necessary to secure the legal and financial reforms required to improve the prison system.
He has called for broader prison reforms across Africa, expressing hope that Ghana could lead the continent in improving correctional facilities.
Reflecting on his experience since July 20, Chairman Wontumi stated: “At this experience since July 20th till date, prison doesn’t reform as it should be. I pray that the entire Africa will learn from Ghana.”
The statement added that Chairman Wontumi remained in high spirits.
By: Jacob Aggrey
