{"id":395344,"date":"2018-01-26T07:26:16","date_gmt":"2018-01-26T07:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=395344"},"modified":"2018-01-26T07:26:16","modified_gmt":"2018-01-26T07:26:16","slug":"occupy-ghana-petitions-ag-over-blacklisted-names-by-births-and-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/01\/occupy-ghana-petitions-ag-over-blacklisted-names-by-births-and-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Occupy Ghana petitions AG over blacklisted names by Births and Deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pressure Group, Occupy Ghana, has written to the Attorney General,\u00a0Gloria Akuffo, to complain about the blacklisting<\/strong><\/a><\/span> of certain names such as Nana, Nii, Junior, among others from being registered by the Births & Deaths Registry.<\/p>\n

Occupy Ghana in the letter argued that, the Registry\u2019s action has no basis in law, and charged the Attorney General to take steps to address the issue since it is a gross violation of the rights of Ghanaians.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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\u2019s name at any time later in life,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”tAiRrm495jbTqeYMfYXkp6Kzb6jfq6Hy”]Occupy Ghana in the letter, which was also copied to the Local Government Minister, called on the Attorney General to order the Registry to stop such acts, else they will proceed to court<\/strong><\/a><\/span> within the next 30 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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,\u201d the letter read.<\/p>\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

Persons who wish to register names such as Nana, Naa, Junior and the likes were turned away by the Births and Deaths Registry with a reason that such names are\u00a0 considered as titles and not names.<\/p>\n

The Registrar at the Births and Deaths Registry, John Yao Agbeko, justified the action saying the law governing the Registry\u2019s operations \u2013 Act 301 (1965) \u2013 gives them the power to undertake such exercise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a law that regulates the activities of the Births and Deaths registry, that law is the Births and Deaths Registration Act 301 of 1965. In this act we have a function for the Minister to do a regulation. In the regulation, there is a function for the registrar to come out with a mode of operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo even though you will not read it in the act, the regulation allows the registrar to come out with the mode of operation to manage the place and that is what we have done. That is why if you go to Tamale, the one over there will tell you that you cannot register that name. If you pick that same name and you run to Accra, in order to do same, you will be told you can\u2019t do it,\u201d he explained on the Citi Breakfast Show<\/strong> on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Blacklisting \u2018title\u2019 names illegal \u2013 Ace Ankomah fumes<\/strong><\/p>\n

A private legal practitioner, and member of Occupy Ghana, Ace Ankomah, had earlier described as illegal<\/strong><\/a><\/span> the Births and Deaths Registry\u2019s blacklisting of certain names.<\/p>\n

Sharing his view on the matter on the Citi Breakfast Show<\/strong> on Thursday, Ace Ankomah said what the Registry is doing \u201cis not in the law, and it is also not in the regulation that was supposed to have been made under the 1965 Act.\u201d<\/p>\n

This nonsense must stop!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the law says is that, they should have a mode of operation. The Births and Deaths Registry has no power to make law. Having a mode of operation must comply with the law. So if the fundamental law does not give you a certain power, you cannot be claiming that you have written your own mode of operation to make that power to yourself. So it does not exist, it has no legal basis, that nonsense must stop,\u201d he fumed.<\/p>\n

Below is the full statement from Occupy Ghana:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Attorney-General & Minister for Justice<\/p>\n

Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General\u2019s Department<\/p>\n

Accra<\/p>\n

Dear Madam,<\/p>\n

REFUSAL TO REGISTER NAMES AT THE BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRY \u2013 NOTICE OF ACTION<\/p>\n

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 \u201cMaame,\u201d \u201cPappa,\u201d \u201cNana,\u201d “Naa,” “Junior,” \u201cNene,\u201d \u201cNii\u201d and \u201cOhemaa\u201d 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).<\/p>\n

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\u2019s name at any time later in life.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Yours faithfully,<\/p>\n

OccupyGhana\u00ae<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The Minister<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Ministry of Local Government<\/p>\n

    Accra<\/p>\n

    –<\/p>\n

    By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
    \n    Follow @AlloteyGodwin<\/a>
    \n