September 17, 2021
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
As the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) commemorates International Identity Day, the Director General of NCRA Mohamed Massaquoi has yesterday the 16th of September, declared the day as National Identity Day.
The theme for the commemoration of the international identity day is “identity is your right-go for it”. This year’s commemoration of the international identity day took place at the Kissi Town Community Center Waterloo, Freetown.
In his keynote address, the Director General of NCRA Mohamed Massaquoi noted that all countries across the world observe September 16th as international identity day in various forms of celebration. He added that it is not only the responsibility of government in ensuring that citizens are identified, but also the responsibility of individual in order to be eligible for any other opportunities and recognition from the state.
“If you want to go school, you want to go for health service, water facility, supports from micro credit, as long as you have identified yourself of being a citizen or resident, you will enjoy those rights and opportunities. The right to be identified is for everybody whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated so go for it”, Mohamed Massaquoi encouraged.
Mohamed Massaquoi furthered that the right to be identified starts from the registration of birth so that people will have the legal and moral right to claim citizenship of the country and benefit from other facilities from the state. He also intimated that for any birth within the period of ninety days, government has taken the responsibility to pay for the birth certificate for the child.
Mohamed Massaquoi continued that people have missed out of so many opportunities ranging from scholarships to study oversea just because they could not produce birth certificate. He therefore, concluded by encouraging parents to be registering their children at least during the ninety days grace period so that they can be identified as citizens of Sierra Leone. He also appealed to Civil Society Organizations, Members of Parliament, the media and the general public to rally behind government to declare September 16th as National Holiday in observance of the International Identity Day.
On his part, a Representative from the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) Farma Bangura appreciated the work of the National Civil Registration Authority in ensuring that people’s personal data are captured for easy reference. He added that over the years, NaCSA has been handling refugee protection and also cases of people without identity.
He noted that for the past years, NaCSA has been able to process documentation in ensuring that all the refugees who have been locally integrated, have country of origin passports. He said NaCSA in collaboration with the immigration, has been also able to grant resident permit to refugees who have been locally integrated. As of today, Farma Bangura also disclosed that the country now has well over two hundred fifty (250) locally integrated refugees who have accessed country of origin passports as well as resident permits. He concluded by calling on all persons of concerns to avail themselves for identification especially refugees who have not got resident permits.