Consistent with her vision of making the Electoral Commission (EC) one of the best election management bodies in the world, Jean Mensa, takes deliberate and sustained steps to always deliver free and fair elections.
Under very dire circumstances in 2020, when Ghana was reeling under the stress of COVID-19, the Jean Mensa-led EC compiled a new voters’ register.
The naysayers predicted loss of lives because they felt the COVID-19 protocols would be abused thereby putting lives at risk. The EC did a commendable job, registering prospective voters without, anyone complaining of a “headache.”
The EC introduced several innovations including the Mobile Registration Teams and the progressive, “Let the Citizen Know” series during which the people were appraised of the goings on at the registration centres, and by the time the exercise was over, most Ghanaians knew the voter population.
Very unprecedented and innovative but can only be achieved by people who think outside the box.
In 2024, the Jean Mensa-led EC is not resting on it oars but putting in place the processes to once again deliver a free, fair and transparent election on December 7, 2024.
All that we ask for the EC is collaboration and constructive criticism in order for Jean Mensa and her team to have the peace of mind to deliver on their mandate.
In addition we ask all stakeholders, especially the political parties to leave Jean Mensa alone to do her work. Like John Mahama admonished in 2016, let us all stop harassing and haranguing Jean Mensa.
We remind John Mahama that nothing has changed at the EC except the leadership, but the structures remain the same to supervise the conduct of free and fair elections.
We cannot understand your criticism of the EC now when you took a “principled” against interference in the work of the EC in 2016.
Unable to stand the barrage of criticisms being levelled against his ‘darling’ Charlotte Osei before the 2016 elections, John Mahama was forced to come to her defence.
In contrast, John Mahama and his NDC, does not want to extend the same cooperation and courtesies to the Jean Mensa-led EC.
John Mahama in 2016 descended on the opposition political parties, especially the NPP for having the temerity to call out Charlotte Osei for her, “we saw it and we liked it” posture to criticisms.
The demeanour of Charlotte Osei changed when the “Let My Vote Count” campaigners mounted spirited demonstrations calling for electoral reforms.
That is where John Mahama came to the aid of Charlotte Osei describing election rigging allegations against Charlotte Osei as ‘absurd nonsense.’
During the heat of the electioneering in 2016 in Funsiin the Upper West Region he said that “if you notice, in the run up to the election, there has been a consistent criticism of the Electoral Commission (EC).
Indeed, they have said the most unspeakable things about the Chairman of the EC and that is all preparing the minds of their supporters, for when they lose, so when they lose, they can blame the Electoral Commission as not being neutral.”
At another forum on the election platform, John Mahama called on the opposition political parties to stop harassing Charlotte Osei and cooperate with her to purge the voters register.
We ask John Mahama, what has changed for you and your NDC to be harassing and haranguing the EC, especially Jean Mensa? We do not make wild claims just because we are opposed to the philosophy of the NDC; we do so with facts and data.
In February last year while on a pre election mission in Nigeria for the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), John Mahama said one thing that stuck him was the confidence all the candidates and parties have expressed in the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said all the parties testify that INEC has listened and taken their concerns on board. Unfortunately, he said in a statement, “I can’t say same for my Electoral Commission (EC) which was once among the best election management agencies in the world.
The hostility of the Chairperson of the EC and her other Commissioners to one political party is legendary. How I wish our own EC can inspire the same level of confidence in all stakeholders.”
We urge the guard dogs of the NDC to lower their attacks on those who criticise their candidate.
This is so because in all cases the outbursts of John Mahama are very hypocritical, inconsistent and showcasing him as a very forgetful person with short memories like Joe Biden on stage during the recent presidential debate hosted by CNN.
The NDC like the Democrats of the USA must be looking for an alternative to John Mahama for the December polls.
In the meantime, we advice John Mahama and the NDC to leave Jean Mensa alone. After all what is good for the goose (Charlotte Osei) is good for the gander (Jean Mensa).