By Hassan Osman Kargbo

The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) has last Saturday 16 September 2023, joined the World to commemorate the International Identity Day with the Theme: ‘Because Identity is important, identity deserves a Day’.

This year’s event took place at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Science (COMAHS) Nursing School Conference Hall, Lightfoot Boston Street, Freetown.

NCRA commemorated this day in collaboration with the Department of Nursing at COMAHS- University of Sierra Leone.

According to the Director of Operational Servers Abubakarr Javombo, NCRA want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) of the United Nation 69 which noted that there should be identity for all by 2030 and NCRA is strongly in support of the fight to take identity far and wide in Sierra Leone.

He added that they knew the Nurses can do it best, that is why they decided to partner with the Nursing Department at COMAHS, so that they Nurses will take the message to the public.

Making his statement, the keynote speaker of the event was the Director General of NCRA, Mohamed Bashiru Massaqou, said that the identity day is important day across the World, because identity plays a critical role from birth to the everyday lives of humans in the World, adding that, United Nations and other bodies decided to set aside 16 September every year as the World Identity Day.

“This day is very much important across the World, that is why we need to create awareness to everywhere so that people will know about the essence of having an identification card,” he said.

He noted that everything you do in life identity has a critical role to play, adding that many a time people only rush for identity card when situation had forced them to produce it; but he noted that everyone should determine to be identified in the country.

He continued that the choose to commemorate this day with the Nurses not just because they can do it best, but it is because the Nurses contributed immensely towards enhancing giving birth to babies across the world and also even when individual want to leave the World for eternity Nurses are always there to play their positive role.

He furthered that they had signed Memorandum of Understating (MOU) with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for them to get every records of new born babies across the country, and also the records of those who passes away. He added that it is important because if they keep records of death it will help the government to know how many people to be catered for in the country in terms development.

He called on everyone to take the identification card noting that it is very much vital in people’s lives.

“Make sure you recorded every death so that everything will be identified. Our identity is a great passport in our lives, so it is essential for people to put key attention in it,” he noted.

He said NCRA has the NIN which is the National Identification Number that can identity you as an individual even if there are more than ten Fatmata Kamara, but with the NIN you will be identified as quick as possible because everybody has a NIN in the country for easy identification.

He ended by thanking the Management and staff of COMHAS especially the Nursing Department for the worm welcome that they render to NCRA staffs noting that he is looking forward to more partnership.

Making his statement on behalf of the Nursing Department, Alfred J. Samai, noted that the step NCRA took to collaborate with the Nursing Department speaks volumes, because when you interact with a nurse, you have interacted with the World.

He said that Nurses are key Stakeholders in any society because they trained them in that accurate and humble manner, and also they trained hearts and minds to deliver the World.

“The important of somebody being a Nurse cannot be underscored. A lot of patience always called on Nurse even in a critical condition or when they want to take their last breath they called on Nurse,” he said.

He called on NCRA and other government institution to always see Nurses as an important tool in the society and he noted that they must give Nurses priority in any of their server especially a Nurse in her uniform supposed to be prioritized.

He cautioned Nurses about the important of time, adding that if Nurses wasted ten minutes when the person is on duty will cost the life of someone.

He encouraged all Nurses to take their identification card, because it will help the people to identify you as an individual whether on duty or off duty. And he also said in the case of emergency when you can’t talk it will be very difficult to identify you without your identity card.

“In cases of emergency, how can people know your name? your address? your contact? So, it is very much important for you as a Nurse and for the general public as well,” he noted.