Ghana Alternative Dispute Resolution Experts are Proving Themselves Less Convincing in the Wake of Mrs Charlotte Osei Saga

No matter what our doubtful Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) experts suggest to save the head of Mrs Charlotte Osei, the Chair of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, she is already a goner. Her head is about to roll and it must roll.

About three days ago, I read on the Ghana internet news portal, from Ghanaweb and Modernghana to be precise, the views expressed by one Dr Gyampo, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, regarding how best to resolve the unfolding crimes alleged to have been committed by Mrs Charlotte Osei and her deputies at the Electoral Commission. I was not at all excited about his proposal although he is entitled to his views as I am to mine.

He suggested an alternative resolution of recalling the petition as submitted to the President but to approach some elders to resolve the case between Charlotte Osei and her deputies amicably as done at the local levels and in our villages.

In the villages or traditional level, when one offends a family member, it is taken before the family head or the chief to resolve their differences. This is the type the lecturer was suggesting as the best solution to the problems between Charlotte Osei and her mutinous deputies rather than pursuing it in court as it will finally turn it following the petition to the President, Nana Akufo Addo.

Again, when I listened to an online radio programme hosted in Ghana this morning, Tuesday, 25 July 201, another ADR expert by a name I cannot correctly remember or make up, although it sounded like Ogwami, Agbemi, Odami etc., was suggesting a similar incomprehensibly fatuous solution. He said in spite of all the allegations and counter allegations against Charlotte Osei and her deputies, the case must not be investigated but taken to a panel of elders to resolve it amicably between them.

What he said that really pissed me of is his shameless assertion that the alleged crimes are not peculiar to the Electoral Commission but it cuts across all public and private sectors in Ghana. In every department or small office that one goes to in Ghana, whether public or private, one will find such acts of committal of crimes going on. Therefore, we should let the EC staff off the hook since they are not alone in committing such crimes. He further queried, are we going to every office to investigate everyone and prosecute them? If we should, then every Ghanaian will go to prison he seemed to claim.

This man calls himself an Alternative Dispute Resolution expert who draws a salary or consultation fees from those seeking his advice to resolve their problems. He was of the same view as the University lecturer named above.

For the attention of both experts, please note that in the case of Charlotte Osei and her deputies, their acrimonious disputes border on committal of crime but not on any ordinary banter or nuisance squabble between two women fighting over a man or a position or people fighting over something that each claims ownership of as it was in the biblical case of two women of whom each claimed ownership of a child hence the case ending before King Solomon. The case of the EC staff members is a revelation of committed serious crimes against the State and the people of Ghana.

We are in the process of obliging all those who have committed crimes of financial loss to the state, embezzlement of funds and assets and involvement in all acts of corruption that have adversely affected Ghana and the citizenry to surrender themselves for accountability. How can we then let be brushed under the carpet the unfolding crimes allegedly committed by Mrs Charlotte Osei and her deputies?

Are the mentioned ADR experts really serious about helping President Nana Akufo Addo solve the problems of corruption that continue to savage Ghana and render most Ghanaians poor in the land of abundance?

The experts must be careful since they are listened to all over the world due to modern technology where the world can easily interact with them remotely online. Many are the more knowledgeable persons that listen to them online to assess their level of expertise and wisdom when they offer solutions or suggestions.

Anyway, Charlotte Osei and her deputies are all goners deducing from the crimes they have committed against the state as alleged by themselves. They will surely be investigated and if found guilty which of course they will, depending on the volume of information they have already made available in the public, they will be prosecuted and punished according as the law will determine.

I had severally warned Charlotte Osei against her obstinacy which I always say to be the cause of the horns of the hornbill. I advised her amid warnings but she never listened. She is now in the situation of the fly that has no one to advise it hence follows the corpse into the grave.

I have no pity for this stubborn woman even though I detest he who gloats over the demise or misfortune of his/her fellow human being no matter how evil the person might be.

The situation in which Charlotte Osei finds herself must serve as a lesson to all obstinate public office holders who abuse their position to suppress others or to corrupt themselves. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Over to you Captain Smart of Adom FM radio Ghana.
Rockson Adofo