President Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo yesterday swore in three new members of the Electoral Commission (EC) governing board.
They included Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng Salima, Ahmed Tijani, and Dr. Peter Appiahene.
Their appointment is in line with Article 43 (1 and 2) of the 1992 constitution which states that, “there shall be an Electoral Commission which shall consist of a Chairman, two Deputy Chairmen, and four other members. The members of the Commission shall be appointed by President under article 70 of this Constitution.
At a brief ceremony at the Jubilee House, the President administered the oaths of office, allegiance, and secrecy to all three persons.
Having come into office 21 months before the 2024 general elections and at a time when Ghana was seeking to entrench her credentials as a beacon of democracy in Africa, he told them. “It is the quality of your work that will reassure the Ghanaian people that the democratic system of government that they have chosen for their governance will be properly nurtured by an electoral system that allows their voices to be plainly and loudly heard.”
“As you begin work, you will find no honeymoon period; neither will you be afforded the chance to settle into your new responsibilities. I have nevertheless, confidence in you and in your abilities to surmount the hurdles before you”, he stated.
He however reminded them that, “now more than ever, every decision you take will be scrutinised to the letter. That however, should not scare you and indeed, let no one try to cow you into submission.”
Rather, he said “let this expectation of the Ghanaian people spur you onto great heights and above all, work so that the will of the Ghanaian people is upheld.” he added.
Assurance
On their part, Dr Peter Appiahene on behalf of his two other colleagues expressed gratitude to the President for their appointment and to the Council of State for supporting their nomination.
“We are greatly humbled, honoured, motivated and we finally see this appointment as a sense of duty. We also accept this appointment in the symbolism of a fresh journey ahead of us to meet the high expectation of the various stakeholders especially the over 31 million Ghanaians”, was how he put it.
In recognition of the massive responsibilities and tasks that comes with it, he gave their assurance that “we want to state that we are poised, prepared to deliver and to contribute to the development of our democracy especially in this digital era.”
The Electoral Commission is one of the governance institutions provided under the 1992 constitution.
It was established by the Electoral Commission Act (Act 451) of 1992 and set up purposely to manage the conduct of all public elections and Referenda, to handle all matters directly related to the conduct of elections in the country.
The EC is currently chaired by Mrs. Jean Mensa, with Dr. Bossman Eric Asare and Samuel Tettey serving as her Deputies responsible for Corporate Affairs and Operations respectively.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent