Charlotte Osei, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah
Members of the Electoral Commission (EC) are set to meet for the first time in over a year.
The chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei, has been accused of running a ‘one-man’ show – failing to carry along other commissioners.
Ms Charlotte Osei is said to have refused to hold meetings with the other six commissioners to discuss the way forward for the electoral body.
According to information available to DAILY GUIDE, the commissioners have not held a single meeting for over a year – in clear breach of the 1992 Constitution – and activities at the state institution appear to have been put on hold.
This paper understands that it’s the duty of Ms Charlotte Osei to convene meetings to deliberate on the activities of the commission; but she had allegedly refused to do so, leaving her colleague commissioners very frustrated.
Information available suggests that the EC boss, who has fallen out with her two deputies – Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations and Georgina Opoku Amankwa, Corporate Affairs – was reluctant to hold the meeting amidst fears that when it came to decision-making through a vote, she might not have the needed support from the other commissioners.
But it now seems one of the commissioners, Ebenezer Aggrey-Fynn – who wrote a strongly-worded memo to the EC boss to arrange a meeting – may have his wish fulfilled as Ms Charlotte Osei is now calling for a meeting.
This is going to happen after another member of the commission, Pauline Adobea Dadzawa, has gone on retirement, apparently giving the EC boss an advantage for the meeting to be held today.
Even though there are six members now left on the commission, five will be attending the meeting because Charlotte Osei had caused the interdiction of one of her deputies, Georgina Opoku-Amankwa.
A memo titled, ‘Commission meeting’ which was sent to the remaining five members and sighted by DAILY GUIDE, called for the meeting to be held at 10:00 am.
“Following the conclusion of hearings in the impeachment cases, I am inviting you to a commission meeting to be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, 31 May, 2018 to discuss the following matters,” the memo indicated.
Among the issues to be addressed is “the impact of the 2018 budget on electoral activities, update on audits and investigations at the commission.”
The meeting will also address issues concerning “new policy on performance management from the Public Service Commission, staff promotions/scheme of service and any other businesses.
Meanwhile, the committee set up by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo to investigate Ms Charlotte Osei and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, for abuse of office and conflict of interest has reportedly completed its work.
DAILY GUIDE understands that all in-camera proceedings reportedly ended last Thursday, May 19, when the respondents in the matter officially closed their cases.
According to sources, both the petitioners and the three EC bosses had been given up to June 8 to file their addresses.
By Gibril Abdul Razak