Dr Emmanuel Akwetey
THE INSTITUTE of Democratic Governance (IDEG) and the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) have waded into the raging debate surrounding the alleged massive rot at the Electoral Commission (EC).
They have therefore called on the president to compel the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Amankwa, to step aside to pave way for a thorough investigation into the allegations of corruption and abuse of public office at the commission.
IDEG and CFI in a joint statement issued and signed by Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey – Executive Director of IDEG – and Maj. Gen. Nii Carl Coleman (Rtd) – Chairman of CFI – further urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to in the interest of the Ghanaian populace, confer with the Chief Justice, the Speaker of Parliament and the Chairman of the Council of State, and appoint an interim chair for the EC.
“We support the call for the three top officials embroiled in the current saga to step aside and allow full investigations into the matter,” the statement read.
Allegations
It would be recalled that some faceless staff of the EC recently petitioned the president to ensure the impeachment of Mrs. Osei on grounds that she lacks administrative competence, abused her office and independence as the Chairperson of the commission when she allegedly collected a V8 Vehicle from then President John Mahama, as well as wrongfully appropriating funds belonging to the EC.
In her response to the petitioners’ allegations, Mrs. Osei accused some persons at the commission of being the brains behind the plot to oust her from office.
She emphatically accused the Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Operations, Amadu Sulley, for ‘illegally’ collecting some GH¢6 million from political parties without the knowledge of the Finance Department of the commission.
Ms Osei alleged that her deputy in-charge of Corporate Resources, Georgina Opoku Amankwaah, illegally signed contracts worth GH¢40 million.
Denial
Mr. Sulley and Madam Opoku Amankwa, who have since been interdicted, have both denied the allegations of corruption leveled against them by their boss.
But IDEG and CFI, like many well-meaning Ghanaians, believe that to restore public confidence back into the operations of the EC, there was the urgent need for a probe into the allegations made so far.
“The investigations should be undertaken quickly and the findings and recommendations implemented as soon as possible,” they charged.
The two organizations also appealed to the media and other political parties to “stop the politicization of the nasty crisis at the Commission and to lend the needed support to restore the EC to normalcy.”
BY Melvin Tarlue