By Amin Kef Sesay
During the Ministry of Information and Communications weekly press briefing held on Thursday 9th September, 2021 at Youyi Building in Freetown the Director General of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), Mohamed M. Massaquoi, informed pressmen that the Confirmation and Registration of the personal details of citizens and non-citizens resident in Sierra Leone will begin in the Eastern Region covering Kenema, Kailahun and Kono Districts on the 21st September 2021 to the 30th September 2021.
He said that the Confirmation and Registration process can be done at any of the designated NCRA Centres in the Eastern Region during the period of the exercise, adding that to enable residents participate in the exercise, they are required to bring along their Voter ID Cards and any of the following documents which includes Birth Certificates, National ID Cards, Passports, NASSIT ID Cards, Driver’s Licenses, Certificates of Naturalization (Naturalized Citizens), Work and Resident Permits (Non-citizens), Certificate of Registration and Citizenship by NCRA, NCRA designed Attestation Form endorsed by Local Authorities (Paramount Chiefs and Town Chiefs).
Mohamed M. Massaquoi informed all 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 and those organizations that have been accredited to observe the exercise by the Authority can do so accordingly.
He therefore used the opportunity to encourage members of the general public to cooperate with the NCRA during the conduct of the exercise and that the Confirmation/Registration Centres will be opened from 08:00am through 6:00pm daily with Roaming Teams organized and maintained to support static Centres.
The Director General maintained that NCRA will continue to count on the cooperation of the public including stakeholders especially in the Eastern Region for the successful conduct of the exercise. He further advised all to observe all the COVID-19 measures prescribed by NaCOVERC especially masking up and maintaining reasonable social
distancing before an individual access any of the NCRA Confirmation/ Registration Centres.
During the press briefing, the Director also used the opportunity to clarify on the issue about the 44 Billion Leones which was alleged to have been allocated to them by the Government of Sierra Leone for Confirmation and
Verification Exercises.
He said that the NCRA has never received the sum of Le 44 billion from the GoSL, stating that such could be verified with the Accountant General’s Office.
Mohamed M. Massaquoi maintained that there are also rumors that the NCRA has abandoned the Eastern Region during the exercise of which he said such an information is not only false but is aimed at misinforming the public.
He pointed out that as it is, the confirmation exercise is done by phases, from the Western Area to the North, South, and North-West. The exercise had to be put on hold in the East due to heavy downpour but they are pleased to inform all that the Confirmation and Registration of personal details of citizens and non-citizens resident in Sierra Leone will begin in the Eastern Region covering Kenema, Kailahun and Kono Districts from the 21st through the 30th September 2021.
