Multiple Signatures – Good Or Bad In Ghana.
Primarily a person’s signature is their name or other identifier written in their own hand. Of course, many prefer to write out some or all of their names in some obscure fashion to make it difficult to duplicate. As a result, a person could have as many signatures as they are able to change their handwriting.
A signature (from Latin signare, “to sign”) is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized) depiction of someone’s name, nickname or even a simple “X” that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent (Credit: Wikipedia).
Whether a person has one distinct signature or several of them is not as important as the intent with which a person uses different signatures. If a person is under suspicion of trying to hide their identity or of committing fraud, then the fact that they have different signatures may be seen as circumstantial evidence of their intent to hide their identity or to commit a crime.
Many people do have at least 2 signatures – one for their daily endeavours and one for some other purpose (e.g. banking). I have personally been witness a bank asking a customer to simplify his signature as it was difficult for them to ascertain its genuineness if it was too complex!
Having more than one signature is not of itself any less legal than having different names. The critical matter is the reason why a person has more than one signature and the uses to which the signatures are put. If a person has more than one signature, it is good that they have a group or groups of people who know and recognise each signature as belonging to that person.