Government stop issuance of birth certificates

Enugu State Government has directed the stoppage of individual issuance of birth certificates in the state and urged hospitals to go through the National Population Commission

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Fintan Ochin gave the directive in Enugu on Thursday at a forum organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The commissioner directed hospitals and churches that use their individual names, to rather issue delivery reports to parents. “I will direct them to stop issuing individual birth certificates but rather issue delivery reports to parents. “They will, as a matter of the essence of birth registration, further direct parents to go through NpopC which is the recognised body for such exercise,” he said. In addition, Ekochin said the ministry would draft in the staff of NpopC during the training of N-Power graduates by the Africa Resource Center. He said this would enable trained N-Power graduates to register births and help close the gap of inadequate NpopC birth registration officers. The commissioner, who expressed dismay at the low rate of birth registration, assured of the ministry’s support towards increasing the registration rate in the state.