Robert P. Jackson
Robert P. Jackson, outgoing United States Ambassador to Ghana, has waded into the raging debate over President Akufo-Addo’s choice of Jean Adukwei Mensa, Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) as the new chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The appointment of Mrs. Mensa was announced in a statement issued from the Jubilee House and signed by Chief of Staff, Frema Osei-Opare on Monday.
Two persons-Samuel Tettey and Dr Eric Asare Bossman- were also nominated as deputy commissioners, while another commissioner, Adwoa Asuama Abrefa, was nominated to replace Pauline Adobea Dzadzawa, who recently retired.
The nominations follow the removal of Charlotte Osei as the EC chairperson and her two deputies, Sulley Amadu in-charge of Operations and Georgina Opoku Amankwah in-charge of Corporate Services from office.
But the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticized the President’s choice of Mrs. Mensa as the new EC Commissioner, saying she is sympathetic to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In a statement, it said: “The National Democratic Congress received the news about the appointment of Mrs. Jean Mensa as a chairperson of the Electoral Commission by H.E. the President with shock and disbelief.”
“We are shocked because until this appointment, the President had given assurance to the nation that the persons to be appointed into the commission would be persons whose integrity and political neutrality would be above board.”
Envoy Disagrees
However, Ambassador Jackson strongly believes President Akufo-Addo has made the right choice by nominating Mrs. Mensa as the EC boss.
Speaking to a group of selected journalists on Tuesday in Accra to chronicle the US Government’s engagements in Ghana during his tenure, he indicated: “I know Jean Mensa, I respect her. I think that she, from what I know, is a good choice to head the Electoral Commission.”
The Ambassador, who was one of the guest speakers at the IEA’s recent public forum on illegal mining in Ghana, urged the opposition parties, particularly the NDC, which appears to be crying foul over the appointment of the new EC Commissioner, to come forward with their concerns so the public and stakeholders could look into the opposing views and make their conclusions.
According to the Ambassador, who is ending his two-and-half year duty-tour of the country, “If the opposition, whether is the NDC or the other parties have concerns about her for the job, then they should bring the concerns up during the vetting process and let everyone have their say and people can make their decisions and the public can make their views known.”
EC Must Work
The Ambassador, who described Ghana’s 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections as peaceful and credible, stressed the need for the Electoral Commission (EC) to get back to work.
He stated emphatically that “it’s important that the Electoral Commission gets back to work. For more than a year now the Commission has been largely paralyzed by the impeachment process.”
With two years more for the next major elections and the impending referendum likely in December 2018 for the possible creation of the new regions, the envoy, who shared his fond memories of stay in Ghana, stressed the need for the EC ought to get back to work to prepare itself for the task ahead.
By Melvin Tarlue