The Publicity Secretary of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC), Sidi Yahya Tunis and the National Grand Coalition (NGC) party Chairman, Dr. Denis Bright have showered commendable praise on the Executive Director of Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Ibrahim Sannoh and the Director General of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), Mohamed Massaquoi for their innovative leadership to digitalise their institutions.
Their commendations came in the wake of the CRVS and Identify Management Stakeholders’ Meeting held on Tuesday, 13th April 2021 at the Ministry of Finance conference room on George Street in Freetown.
The former Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister admitted that he is now using the SLRSA digitalised Life Card, noting that, “SLRSA Executive Director is doing extremely well.” NGC’s Denis Bright used the occasion to also commend the youngest SLRSA Executive Director and the NCRA Director General. He thanked NCRA for the regular consultation with stakeholders. Speaking on the many reforms including the National Identification Number (NIN), SLRSA’s Executive Director said when he got appointed by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio to such an enviable office, he said there was urgent need to bring sustainable reforms to make the authority attractive
to compete with others not only in the sub-region but the world at large. “Today, I am here to report to this august gathering of eminent personalities that those thoughts have been gradually translated into a visible reality,” said Mr. Sannoh, highlighting that, “we now have the first digital Vehicle Life Card and number plates, use of breathalyzers to reduce road accidents and accidental deaths caused by reckless driving and effective and efficient data synchronisation to track information of all registered vehicles and motorcycles.”
Explaining the importance of the NIN to journalists, SLRSA Executive Director said the National Identification Number (NIN) is used to tie together all records about a person’s demographic data, fingerprints, head-to-shoulder facial picture, other biometric data and digital signature in the National Identity Database making it relatively easy to confirm and verify one’s identity when you engage in travels and any other transactions.
According to him, when it comes to access to vital services (such as passport issuance, banking services, insurance services, pension, health insurance, payment of taxes, voter’s registration and all Government services), your NIN becomes necessary to reducing errors in allocation of services to the right people.
He revealed that it will prevent fraud where someone else impersonates you. He said it will ensure you are properly identified when verifying the actual blood types of blood donors at hospitals and finally the
ease the verification of voter eligibility during elections. He further affirmed that any one applying now for Bew Drivers License as at 1st of May, 2021 will have to tender NCRA NIN certificate.
“Going forward, all new and renewal of vehicles and licenses will require the holders to produce a NIN for validation,” said Mr. Ibrahim Sannoh, stating that the proposed Hand Held Devices by the Corps will require the NIN to ensure you are a license holder. He said all SLRSA data will be sync with the NCRA for proper identification and validation.
On his part, the NCRA Director General said the purpose of their meeting was to update them on the status of their preparedness to conduct the nationwide confirmation of Registrants’ Personal Details and engagement with the Government of Sierra Leone.
As part of the process, NCRA will also register the unregistered population leading to the development of a Permanent Civil Register on the population of the country. The meeting brought almost all registered political parties together including other relevant stakeholders in civil registration and vital statistics management.
