Airports to be opened by September 1, 2020

Editor in chief of the New Crusading Guide Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako has hinted the country’s airports will be opened to international traffic by September 1, 2020. According to the veteran journalist is to allow Ghanaians abroad who would want to register for the voters ID card do so prior to the General Elections in December. Ghana’s entry points were closed in March this year as one of the measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

Veteran Journalist said, in doing some checks within the corridors of power, hint dropped into my ears possibly, the airports might be reopened 1st September. The land borders will remain closed.

However, he indicated that the three land boarders will remain shut to human traffic. Mr Baako’s revelations on Newsfile Saturday come at the time where the election management body ended its mass registration exercise on August 8. In June, a group calling itself ARTICLE 42 petitioned the Electoral Commission to allow Ghanaians abroad to partake in the voters’ registration exercise.

But Deputy EC Boss, Dr Eric Bossman Asare said the Commission never anticipated some Ghanaians will be stranded abroad to make adequate preparation for them to partake in the exercise.

He said per the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) governing the compilation of the voters’registration, prospective voter must appear in person to be registered and it will be difficult for the Commission to have citizens trapped outside participate in the exercise. The same C.I. also makes provisions for continuous registration of Ghanaians and persons who are enrolled onto the register fifty days before the December 7 polls will be allowed to vote.

In effect, citizens abroad who are able to get into the jurisdiction within this period can have their voter ID card and participate in the electioneering process.