Pressure Group OccupyGhana has warned the government of Ghana to put a stop to the recently revealed practice of refusing to register local names which they claim are titles.
According to the group, there is no basis in law for the decision and therefore the Registry should put a stop to it or face a lawsuit within 30 days.
It recently came out that the registry are implementing a law that they say doesn’t allow Ghanaians to register names for their kids which they claim to be titles and not names.
Names affected include ‘Nii’, ‘Naa’, ‘Nana’, ‘Oheneba’, ‘Ohemaa’, ‘Togbe’ and many others.
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The registry also does not allow a person who has both a Christian and a local name to register the local name as their first name even if they want to do so.
The decision has infuriated Ghanaians and in a statement, Occupy has called for it to be scrapped or they would take the issue to the courts to decide.
Read statement below…
January 26, 2018
The Attorney-General & Minister for Justice
Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General’s Department
Accra
Dear Madam,
REFUSAL TO REGISTER NAMES AT THE BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRY – NOTICE OF ACTION
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).
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.
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.
Yours faithfully,
OccupyGhana®
cc. The Minister
Ministry of Local Government
Accra
The Registrar
Births and Deaths Registry
Accra