Joe,
Did you see the other comic side of this story.First they have a problem of
securing certain materials  for the present  ID cards,but they have a bigger
project that will be more sofesticated and are working on it.In this
country, you have a president who openly said that even his grand children
will not be poor,have a personal jet that ferries the wife to Jeddah,New
York,you name it and this same country  is consulting donors seeking funding
for the new grand national ID card.Sometimes you  can't stop laughing even
with such a serious national issue.God Bless the Gambia.

For Freedom
Saiks


>From: Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: ID card scarcity hits immigration
>Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 18:33:23 +0000
>
>Folks, this is the sort of thing we were anticipating with this voter
>registration drive.
>
>"On the issue of voters card, those who spoke to this paper said, "we are
>asked to produce an identity card before being issued a voters card in the
>IEC supplementary registration of voters currently taking place."
>
>Now, if one needs to register but does not have an ID card, how is that to
>happen, expecially that the registration excercise will conclude in May,
>however, they will start to issue ID cards in three months time, well after
>the suplementary registration of voters.  This is more reason why the
>Alternative leadership needs to be vigilant in their monitoring of the
>process.  Please read on.
>
>News
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>ID card scarcity hits immigration
>By Ousman Darboe
>Apr 30, 2004, 12:23
>
>Email this article
>Printer friendly page
>
>The Immigration Department yesterday confirmed to Daily Observer that for
>the past few months, the department had been facing scarcity of national
>identity card materials.
>
>The scarcity of these materials have caused severe setbacks for those
>wishing to apply for Gambian passport, since they could not produce their
>ID. Recent passport applicants who are without a national ID card told this
>paper that for them to get a passport, they must produce an identity card
>to
>prove their citizenry. This according to them, had affected those wishing
>to
>travel overseas.
>
>On the issue of voters card, those who spoke to this paper said, "we are
>asked to produce an identity card before being issued a voters card in the
>IEC supplementary registration of voters currently taking place."
>
>Speaking to Daily Observer yesterday, the Immigration spokesman, ASP Lang
>Demba confirmed the ID card material shortage saying, "yes it is true that
>we are facing shortage of identity cards materials. We are working on
>modalities to ensure that the problem is solved soonest."
>
>ASP Demba explained that his office had sent a project proposal to the
>government for funding, and the government, he said, were also seeking
>funds
>from the donor community. "There is positive response however, and we will
>soon start issuing identity cards in the next three months. We are coming
>up
>with a new type of identity card. This time around, the ID cards will be
>different from the old one. We are going to computerise it and the picture
>of the bearer is going to be scanned like the passport type. The ID card
>will also have security and production code," he disclosed.
>
>Quizzed on whether the new type will attract an increase on the cost or
>not,
>ASP Demba said that will be determined by the government. "This new ID card
>will involve a lot of work so that it could not be easily tampered with by
>unscrupulous individuals," he said.
>
>ASP Demba urged the public to remain patient, saying that his office was
>working to enable Gambians secure a modern ID card.
>
>© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company
>
>Top of Page
>
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