Muhammed Teks Tekanyi, a concern Gambian, has written to the Ministry of Health over issuance of birth certificate, in which he hit out at the Ministry over birth certificate attestation.
In a letter shared with The Voice newspaper, Mr Teks Tekanyi said: “I am saddened to bring to your attention the unconstitutional practice currently taking place at the birth registration centers across the length and breadth of our country by officials from the Ministry of Health. It was brought to my notice that officials at registration centers are implementing the instructions of requesting two national identification documents (one for each parent) from individuals applying for birth certificates before they’re cleared to get a birth certificate. These instructions are in conflict with Section 15 subsection 1 of our constitution.
“The aforementioned provision of our constitution clearly states that “every person born in or outside The Gambia after the coming into force of this Constitution shall become a citizen of The Gambia at the date of his or her birth if, at the time of his or her birth, one or both of his or her parents or grandparents is or was a citizen of The Gambia.”
“In providing more room for citizenship, the same section further stated in subsection (2) a person who, prior to the coming into force of this Constitution, was a citizen by descent, is, upon the coming into force of this Constitution, regarded a citizen by birth and subsection (3) a child of not more than eight years of age found in The Gambia, whose parents are not known, shall be presumed to be a citizen of The Gambia by birth.”
This therefore bothers the question; what is the need of requesting the ID cards of both parents of a single individual for a birth certificate when our constitution stated that only one is enough?
“Honorable Sir, it is shocking to state that many bona-fide citizens of The Gambia have been disenfranchised by this malicious practice at the birth registration centers thus illegally denying them their constitutional right to citizenship and subsequently the right to vote in the upcoming elections that is if immediate actions aren’t taken to stop this illegality. For it is not just distasteful but criminal a practice to be done by persons whose services are paid for by the very taxpayers they are illegally rendering stateless in their own country of birth and citizenship.
“I would therefore suggest for the National Assembly through your office to order for urgent explanations from the authority responsible for such a malpractice while requesting for the IEC to extend its voter registration period to the end of July 2021, possibly, in order to accommodate the registration of the many folks that have been denied birth certificates and obviously voter’s cards through this abnormal exercise. Attached, is a copy of the notice from the birth certificate registration centers for your review and confirmation of the practice. I thank you in advance while looking forward to a swift and fruitful remedy to this anomaly by your office,” he added in the letter.