Gloria Akuffo
THE ATTORNEY-General(AG), Gloria Akuffo, has been petitioned by the pressure group, OccupyGhana, to ensure that the Births and Deaths Registry withdraws the implementation of a policy that bans the registration of Ghanaian names.
Popular Ghanaian names like as “Maame,” “Pappa,” “Nana,” “Naa,” “Junior,” “Nene,” “Nii” and “Ohemaa” are according to the ‘discriminatory’ policy not acceptable for birth registration at the Registry.
Under the policy, the Registry is expected to determine the order in which names must be written, giving prominence to foreign names over local names that resonates with the majority of the Ghanaian people.
But OccupyGhana believes the Act based on which the Births and Deaths Registry is implementing the policy – the Registration of Birth and Death Act, 1965 (Act 301) — may have grossly been misconstrued, threatening to sue the Registry if it fails to rescind its decision.
In a statement issued to the media, the pressure group observed that “our attention has been drawn to the implementation of an alleged policy by the Registrars of the Birth and Death Registry that refuses to register the birth of children whose names include names such as “Maame,” “Pappa,” “Nana,” “Naa,” “Junior,” “Nene,” “Nii” and “Ohemaa” as well as determine the order in which names must be written, giving prominence to foreign names over indigeneous Ghanaian names.”
“The Registrars claim that they are empowered to do this on the basis of the Registration of Birth and Death Act, 1965 (Act 301),” it said.
According to the statement, “We have however checked that Act and all relevant laws including the Regulations passed under the Act. We have not seen any provision that either supports this policy or gives the Registrars of Births and Deaths any power to refuse to register any name.”
“We believe that this stance is a gross violation of the rights of Ghanaians to choose names (particularly Ghanaian names) as they deem fit for their children, subject to the right to change one’s name at any time later in life,” it added.
The statement indicated that “We therefore write to put you on notice, in accordance with section 10 of the State Proceedings Act, 1998 (Act 555), that we intend to commence civil action against the Republic within thirty (30) days of the date of this letter if this illegality is not addressed forthwith.”
“We however believe that this cause of action will not be necessary if all Registrars of the Births and Deaths Registry will be directed to desist from these acts and stop refusing to register such names as they have no basis in law,” it underscored.
BY Melvin Tarlue