It’s 10:20 am and the queue at the registration center is moving slowly. I just need to get registered in time to make it for lunch. Yeah! I love food, I know. But on this day, I had to skip breakfast for this registration exercise although I did not get there on time. My first registration was last year at the MTN office and so this particular one was for my other number. Last year’s registration wasn’t a pleasant one because I almost got beat up by a guy who thought I had skipped the queue just to finish on time.

My simple question to you fellow readers is, “Do we really need this long queues at this stage of our democracy and in this digital era?” Just imagine sixty and seventy something year olds having to join long queues because they really need to stay in touch with their children and grandchildren both in Ghana and abroad. I mean, if you ask me, everything about the exercise is kind of slow, but it seems there is not enough options which bothers me a lot.

Most people find it rather time wasting but thank God some companies are alleviating the pain of their workers by bringing the registration to their doorsteps which I think is commendable.

First registration experience

So this first time I went to register my SIM card, I went early and joined the queue. Later on, I remembered I had left my ID Card at home so I rushed back to get it and left word with the person behind me. The idea was to come back quickly and rejoin the queue. Fast forward, I came back and the queue had been disorganized and split into two groups. I went ahead to look for my ‘friend’ who was behind me and was told he had already gone ahead to register and had left a long time.

Dear friends, in my bid to join the nearest queue in order to stay ahead and not have to join the queue from the back, I heard a loud bark from the behind. “Hey sister, bra wakyi wati” said the voice from behind. To wit, “Hey sister, come to the back!”. I stopped in my tracks. I have been exposed. What do I do now? I tried explaining to the people in front that I had been there earlier bla bla bla.

Timely intervention

No one was ready to listen to me except for the timely intervention of one security guard who had seen me when I first came in and joined the first queue. Also, the lady who had earlier confirmed to me that the person behind me had already gone ahead to register begged the people on my behalf. She had joined the other group which was for those who had come to retrieve their lost SIM cards and who had other grievances other than SIM Re-registration.

Even after the intervention of these two, the other people in the queue still insisted that I joined those at the back. At this point I stood my grounds and pitched my tent near the security guard who later allowed me to go in and register after a few people had gone ahead to do so. But the talking didn’t stop and the brother who called me out earlier was threatening to beat me up if I uttered a word because he thought I was disrespectful to him for not coming to the back of the queue. At this point all I could think about was my petite physique and how it probably sent the wrong signals to this brother.

Second time experience

On this day as I recall the events of my first experience with the Re-registration exercise, I almost dreaded joining another long queue to finish up with the process on my second SIM card. Luckily for me, a friend helped make the exercise a smooth one since it was taking place at their office. I was so glad nobody was going to ask me to come to the back or threaten to beat me up if I didn’t. I was lucky to have joined a lesser queue this time around. And here I was thinking to myself, “What if I really got beat up on the first time experience?”

Waste of time

As the exercise continues, I pray there is a way people can be made to register smoothly without having to go through all these phases and still be told to go home when it’s finally their turn because those registering have reached their closing time. A friend had to endure that and was asked to come the next day. You can imagine her having to join another queue when she finally showed up the next day. How frustrating it was for her.

Better days ahead?

For tea, I definitely did Milo tea today partly because we all know that ‘Milo’ is trending and so that was the inspiration. I hear the GFA is rethinking of whether to keep him as coach or sack him like they did to his predecessors. Whatever their decision, I hope this time it really makes an impact on the way football is handled in this country. And while at it, government should start thinking of making the digitization process more practical by starting with the Re-registration exercise because people are not feeling this current process.

And when I say people, I mean those with real jobs, real families to cater for, and real health conditions which may inhibit their chances to register their SIM cards especially since they have to be present for the entire process. Oh gosh! Thank you for Milo tea, because this article was fueled by a hot early morning one. And ofcourse, I do not consider that as breakfast. I am Ghanaian like that.