The Electoral Commission Again?

It would appear that the year 2012 is the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana's year of nemesis.

For the first time in its 21 years or so history, the outcome of its presidential election has landed in the bosom of the Justices of the Supreme Court for determination on point of law, as to who really won that election.

The declared loser, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP's) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, insists that there were so many irregularities, violations of the law, omissions, etc., on the face of the pink sheets that if the figures attached to them were deducted, the declared winner, John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), could not have won

Hearing in the election petition is currently ongoing, and has reached such a critical stage that if the timelines are kept, the verdict of the court could be out before the end of July 2012.

While the EC Chairman, Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, is stranded in the witness box trying to avoid a scud missile exploding under his jaw, some staff of the commission are shamefully busy inventing get-rich schemes that enrich their personal pockets, and further drive the name of the EC into the mud.

Ad-hoc staff, who helped the EC perform its functions as electoral assistants (EAs) in charge of issuing ballot papers, operating the biometric machines etc., should have been paid in December last year, but have had their money, unfortunately, delayed till now.

But, some apparently 'evil dwarfs with sharp teeth' in the EC, who have been empowered to act as cashiers, have sworn to defraud the electoral assistants under the full glare of the law.

Confirmed reports from the Lower Manya Municipal office of the EC indicate that one Samuel Sekyere has been boldly deducting GH¢5 from the allowances of the EAs, which range between GH¢70 and GH¢100 in the name of 'furnishing the municipal EC office, and showing appreciation' to the presiding officers who recruited them.

'All efforts made to challenge the illegal deductions were not successful, as Mr. Owusu openly declared that anyone who challenged the deduction would not be paid,' an aggrieved EA who spoke to a reporter alleged.

Mr. Owusu reportedly confirmed the deduction, but said it was voluntary, stressing: 'The EAs were asked to show appreciation to the presiding officers who recruited them, to which they obliged.'

The Lower Manya Municipal EC Director, Mr. Asare Boafo, denied authorising the GH¢5 deduction per EA, pointing out: 'I was called this morning … by the Municipal BNI officer that this is what he (BNI officer) has heard, but I told him I don't know anything about that.'

The Chronicle is appalled by this frequent denial of EC supervisory staff of the criminal deeds of their subordinates. It has become one too many, and must stop now. Since when did EAs get the responsibility for furnishing EC offices?

Luckily, Afari-Gyan's sweating under the klieg lights in the Supreme Court should have brought home forcefully to him that the malfeasances of his subordinates in the remotest village are his responsibility.

The Chronicle would urge him to put down his feet in the short period before the end of his tenure, whatever the outcome of the election petition, and weed out such extortionists as have surfaced in the Lower Manya EC office.

Politicians may, for their parochial purposes, foist on the EC the image of a whore who goes to bed with every government in power, but EC employees must not be permitted to provide ammunition for such epithets.

Now or ever!

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