By Amin Kef Sesay
During an in-depth investigation mounted by this medium it was proven that beyond all reasonable doubts that certain scathing allegations made against the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) bordering on financial impropriety is not only baseless but totally erroneous.
The writer of the said article misinformed the general public that the EU delegation has been obliged to reject the quasi totality of the formal requests initiated by NCRA for the mobilization and replenishment of funds due to inefficient and poor financial management of the program.
He furthered that the EU has doubt the shed of the scope of the program and the poor service delivered by NCRA, due to lack of proper collaboration with its technical assistance team adding that failure to meet EU EDF compliance rules and regulations, the funding has been suspended.
In its findings this medium was reliably informed that B&S implements the technical assistance projects for the European Union with their experts assigned to the NCRA.
It was further understood that the UNOPS manages procurement and other funds for the EU for NCRA’s activities that the EU supports.
Also indicated was that the NCRA does not receive funds from the European Union as the institution relates with the European Union through the National Authorizing Office, (NAO).
During the period of investigation by this medium it was proven beyond all reasonable doubts that the aforementioned letter to B&S is not authentic, the name of the writer not mentioned and having a fake European Union letter head.
Indisputably, B&S is the implementing partner for the EU and is based in Belgium with their expatriates working with the NCRA team.
It is now on record that on the 1st September 2021, an EU Consultant in Munich, Germany named Erald Karakashi, during a zoom meeting presented to the NCRA Director General, Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi, a proposed software on the digitization of current and past Births and Deaths records as well as Vital Statistics records in Sierra Leone.
Present alongside DG Massaquoi were EU Technical Consultant at NCRA, Devis Fecani, the NCRA Director of ICT, Henry Swaray, the Deputy Director of ICT, Andrew Ngagba Baimba, the National Coordinator of Digitization, Alieu Josiah and other senior management staff at the Authority’s Ground Floor Hall on Walpole Street, Freetown.
It is expected that the digitization of current and past births and deaths records and vital statistics, (marriage, divorce, adoption etc,) on the population of Sierra Leone will replace the old, paper-based records system with electronic system.
This initiative, it was learnt, will ease record search, halt manipulation of personal data, contain attempted identity fraud and importantly, will also ease sharing of data on the country’s population for various uses including healthcare, immigration services, social security benefits, tax administration, financial services and inclusion, access to driving license among so many other benefits.
The proposed digitization software on current and past births and deaths records by the EU Consultant will be synchronized with the existing NCRA digitization software to enhance effective digitization of Births and Deaths records in Sierra Leone.
