The Director General of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), Mohamed M. Massaquoi, who also doubles as ambassador for ID4Africa movement in Sierra Leone, says the challenges associated with people not having legal identity continue to be prevalent. Based on that, he says globally, data from the World Bank estimates 1.5 billion people are without means to officially verify their identity.
He said this while speaking on this year’s International Identity Day on the theme, “Identity is a right - go for it.” The day was used to raise awareness on the importance of identification, and to also sensitize people on the challenges many are faced with when it comes to having a secure and trusted identity.
The NCRA Director General Massaquoi, says “The United Nations recognizes that when citizens of a country have legal identity, there are often better human rights and development agenda within the context of good governance, accountability, and better service delivery.”
Massaquoi says legal identity promotes service-oriented identity as a pathway to inclusion that allows populations to participate in economic development through reliable access to services.
He acknowledged, “Sierra Leone being a signatory to the Abidjan Declaration of ECOWAS Member States on the Eradication of Statelessness, we have endeavoured to domesticate International Treaties on Stateless Persons by ensuring that individuals are able to acquire documentary proof of their nationality and that children or parents in refugee settlements are registered and issued birth certificate.”
While in Waterloo, where the authority issued birth certificates to children registered during the country’s registration exercise, the Director General said, “we are here today to celebrate with our brothers and sisters from neighbouring Liberia, though they were refugees but have been integrated into our society whilst maintaining their legal identity from their country of origin with support from NaCSA and UNHCR.”
He said the country celebration ended with official registration of children born in Sierra Leone, which was followed with the issuance of certificate to them, as proof of legal identity, demonstrating commitment of government to guarantee the rights of all regardless of their origin, race, and status.
Based on this, it was disclosed that, children of refugees and stateless persons born in Sierra Leone, will be legally recognized, protected by the country’s laws and entitled to opportunities provided by government for other citizens.
The NCRA Director General says it is only identity that explains who an individual is and that all those that have completed their registration exercise will soon start getting their identity card. He says, “the government cares for each and every citizen so get your identity it is your right, and government will protect it because, identity saves you from lot of troubles.”
He called on those whose names have changed as a result of marriage to ensure to update the authority with all relevant information noting, part of their work is to protect citizens identity.
The representative from the National Social Security and Insurance Trust, Samuel Margai, says national civil registration is the process that is helping their scheme to identify contributors without any challenges. He says, “It is even making our work easier as each contributor has a unique number as identification, a process NaSSIT is glad working with hence, we called on more people to register with NCRA so that government will be able to cater for them.”
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