Ban on title names by Birth & Deaths Registry unacceptable- Nii Lante

MP for Odododiodoo constituency and a ranking member of the local government committee of Parliament, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has described as unacceptable and surprising the decision of the Births and Deaths Registry not to register local names of Ghanaians.

In a radio interview, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye said the Registry cannot say they will not register local names because these are names we identify with as a people.

Nii Lante believes the decision by the Registry may not have been communicated well as only titles cannot be registered and not names of people.

Births and Deaths Registry, said names such as “Maame,” “Papa,” “Nana,” “Naa,” “Junior,” “Nene,” “Nii” and “Ohemaa” are not accepted under the new policy of the Registry.

John Agbeko, of the Registrar at the Births and Deaths, explained that local names like “Nana, Nii and Togbe” are most used as stool names and title for leaders in the traditional setup.

According to him, parents choose these names (titles) to honour relatives who have played vital roles in their lives and do not want their names to be missing from their family.

Mr Agbeko suggested that such titles that the registry does not accept as part of names should only be used in the house and the community and not add them to name for birth registration.

Nii Lante's comment falls in line with that of Occupy Ghana

Pressure Group, OccupyGhana has threatened to sue the Births and Deaths registry if the decision not to register some popular Ghanaian names is not rescinded.

In a statement to the Attorney General, OccupyGhana stated that they 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.

According to OccupyGhana, the stance by the Births and Deaths 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.

Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, has also summoned the Local Government Minister and the management of the Births and Deaths Registry, following the latter’s decision to blacklist some indigenous names from being registered in the country.

The Ministry was summoned after the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, put forward a request while questioning the Births and Deaths Registry’s power to issue and apply such directives.

Making his case before the House, Mr. Iddrisu said: “I have with me here, the Daily Heritage newspaper with a caption headline, Ghanaians angry over ban on names such as Nana, Nii, Maame, Junior…I am raising this so that this house will summon the Minister for Local Government and the management of the Births and Deaths Registry to explain to this House where the source of their power is.”

www.primenewsghana.com/ Ghana News