The Director-General of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), Mohamed Mubashir MASSAQUOI has held a press conference to update media institutions on the Authority’s readiness to conduct a nationwide Confirmation of Personal Details of Citizens and Non-Citizens and to Register the Unregistered Population at the Ministry of Finance Conference Hall on George Street, Freetown.
The essence of the press conference the DG said was for media outlets to be made fully aware of the activities of the Authority and to disseminate vital information on the planned activities of the NCRA.
The DG announced to the press that “the Confirmation and Registration exercise will commence on the 6th May through 28th July, 2021 and it will be done by region,”
Mr. MASSAQUOI further informed the press that in response to concerns and recommendations from Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations, the Government of Sierra Leone has agreed on the following:
to provide support to increase the number of days for the regisrration from 8-10 days, that 345 Centers have been added to the initial 1,655 Confirmation Registration Centers bringing the number of Centers to 2,000; that Confirmation and Registration Centers have been mapped, updated and designated covering all 2,000 Centers for the exercise across the country, also, in addition to the 2,000 Centers and days, government has gone beyond the request of political parties and Civil Society Organizations by providing Roaming Teams to cover hard-to-reach areas during the exercise to ease the burden of movement on the population and that adequate publicity will be made to inform the public on the process and period.
The Director-General +added that in other to ensure transparency and credibility of the process, provision has also been made to allow Organizations and Institutions who wish to observe the exercise to do so without hindrance by applying through the Director-General of the NCRA, noting that application can be submitted from the 26th to the 30th April 2021 between the hours of 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday daily.
The DG mentioned that the exercise will enhance the acquisition of multi-purpose National and ECOWAS Identification Cards that will be used to facilitate personal transactions, movements and identification of people as well as provide valid, authentic or updated information on the identity and status of all residents in the country.
The DG therefore called on the general public to cooperate with the NCRA in the development of the Permanent Civil Register which shall be the primary source of data on the population of Sierra Leone as stipulated in section 41(1) of the NCR Act of 2016. He encouraged the press to adequately disseminate and continuously inform the public on the activities and programs of the NCRA.
Mr. MASSAQUOI also informed the press that prior to the commencement of the press conference he had earlier on engaged stakeholders collaborating with the Civil Registration,Vital Statistics and Identify Management process in Sierra Leone to update them on the Authority’s readiness to carry out an important national exercise that has been approved by the Government of Sierra Leone in the development of a Permanent Civil Register consistent with the NCR Act of 2016.
The DG noted that Civil Society Organizations and other Institutions have commended the NCRA for always recognizing them in the planning and implementation of the activities and programs of the authority. He therefore called on the press to continue to engage the public by informing them on the importance and benefit of not only the confirmation and registration exercise but CRVS and ID Management as a whole.
