What informed the decision of President John Mahama to make such despicable appointments to the Electoral Commission (EC) is anything but good-intentioned?
Some prying Ghanaians think it is intended to veneer the infamous cocaine and visa scandals haranguing the government; a diversionary manoeuvre the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under John Mahama has perfected.
Be it as it may, each of the scandals demand separate treatment on the plane of public discussions. Even though we are saddled with bad appointments into the EC, we nonetheless return to those negative criminal transactions.
In 2024, then flagbearer of the NDC, Candidate John Mahama, desperately looking for political power mocked the necessary appointments President Akufo-Addo made to the EC.
He said the appointments were informed by desperation.
Dr. Bossman Eric Asare from the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana had no known affiliation to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) yet President John Mahama saw in the appointment a ploy by his predecessor to leverage the outcome of elections in the country. Samuel Tettey, with decades of experience serving the EC, had no known affiliation to any political party.
They garbed Dr. Bossman Asare in NPP colours just so they could hang him in the court of public opinion.
By the same standards he put forth and acceptable by all, politically exposed persons should not be appointed to top positions in the EC. Indeed, this applies in other democratic dispensations across the world.
Ms. Emelia Afi Agbenyo’s role as a prominent spokesperson for one of the segments of the NDC manifesto is properly captured by the internet, yet she has been bestowed with an EC Deputy Chairperson position by the President.
Haunted by her NDC colours, she has reportedly resorted to deleting the archival capture of her NDC activities.
President John Mahama has been dealt with by Karma, and we wonder what he would have to tell Ghanaians about this flawed appointments when clearly they breach the standards.
As for the male appointment, there is too much in the closet about him that in the coming days these would be put out on the public space for dissection.
Appointing a person with so much in his closet is a recipe for disaster in election management in this country.
Why was Dr. Joseph Kweku Asamoah invited by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) when he held office as former Director of Finance and subsequently interdicted at a time Lawyer Amoah, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, was head of the investigative entity?
What was his relationship with Charlotte Osei? How much integrity check was made before the appointment of the gentleman?
We noticed the hubris in his address after he had been sworn into office. As deputy chair, he left all wondering why he was speaking as though he is the Chairperson of the EC.
With a substantive Chairperson, a competent one for that matter with no blemish to her name in place, the deputy would remain subservient to her. Unless the President has whispered to them behind the curtains, he cannot conduct himself as though he is Chairperson.
What discussions were held behind closed doors before the appointments were made public?
That man cannot speak about what in his opinion is a low rating of the EC and that he would reverse this. What was he talking about? Hallucinatory and balderdash.
He should have told us about the July 5, 2017 interdiction occasioned by the misapplied staff endowment funds.
It is unfortunate that such a person is being entrusted with the task of serving as deputy chairperson of an important constitutional body such as the EC. If the idea is to hound the Chairperson out of office as per the terms of the President’s game-plan, regardless of the integrity baggage he is bearing on his back, same will be exposed in good time.
Is this the beginning of the actualisation of the NDC Chairman Asiedu Nketia’s threat of hounding Ms. Jean Mensa out of office? If so, we are in for momentous times. The political ambience will just be too interesting, roller-coaster and full of mirth.