The Kenema District Registration Officer, Eric Kenei Juana has told Premier News in an interview that, efficient execution of the mandate of the National Civil Registration Authority helps government to know the population in the country (Citizens and Noncitizens); ensures proper records of births and deaths as well as causes of deaths; identify population categories like children, adult and the aged; and facilitate budget allocation in catering for the needs of its population; and determine the rate of immigration in the country.
He made this statement on July 15, 2020, while he spoke to Journalists in Kenema on the mandate and activities of the Authority in the district.
He noted that the NCRA was created by an act of parliament on June 30th 2016 to register all vital events and signs unique to all citizens and residents in Sierra Leone, and create up to date and reliable civil registers of Births and Deaths, Marriages, Divorces, Adoptions and Nullities.
Eric Juana reminded all that civil registration is the system by which government records in a continuous, permanent, composed and universal manner, occurrences and characteristics of vital events which pertains to the population as provided by the laws of a country.
He maintained that for civil registration to data to be authentic the registration of vital event must be done by the NCRA which is the institution authorized to collect such information and register it.
He revealed that centres in the district would soon open where people will verify information which had been elicited from them for the preparation of the multi-purpose ID cards, and added that after the completion of the verification, the Authority will work on the compilation of the ID Cards.
He noted that some of the successes of NCRA includes the verification of government payroll, which has helped minimized fraud, generation of national identification No. (NIN) to all residents in Sierra Leone which will help government to easily track and locate her residents for births and deaths registrations.
He said that the primary purpose of having the multi-purpose identification cards is to create legal documents that are used to established and project the right of individuals whiles the secondary purpose is to ensure a correct data source for the compilation of vital statistics.
Mr. Juana concluded by reiterating calls for the public to maintain the preventives measures provided by government in the fight against Covid – 19 in the country.
By Mohamed Mansaray in Kenema
23/072020. ISSUE NO.:7872