The following information was provided in correspondence received by the Research Directorate from an official at the Ghana High Commission, in Ottawa:

According to the Department of Births and Deaths, there are two types of certified copy of entry in register of births or deaths. The first type is prepared from registers of births or deaths that are still used in the field and are always handwritten and have two signatures. One signature is that of either the Regional Registration Officer or the Deputy Regional Registration Officer. The other signature which authenticates the signature of the Regional Registration Officer or his deputy may be that of the Registrar of Births and Deaths, the Deputy Registrar or the Senior Assistant Registrar.

It is the Registrar of Births and Deaths who knows which officers are in charge of which region at any time. It is therefore necessary ... to know only the names of the officers that authenticate the signatures from the field, that is, the Registrar of Births and Deaths and his assistants.

The second type of certified copy of entry in registers of births or deaths emanates from the Central Registry Office and is always typewritten. It has only one signature which is either that of the Registrar of Births and Deaths or the Deputy Registrar.

Samuel Pedro Ankrah is the Registrar of Births and Deaths, Exonam Aku Agyapon-Ntra is the Deputy Registrar and Ignatius Akwasi Faibi is the Senior Assistant Registrar (19 June 2003, emphasis in original).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Ghana. 19 June 2003. Ghana High Commission, Ottawa. Correspondence from an official.