The Ghana Integrity Initiative – the local chapter of Transparency – has called on the Presidency to immediately intervene and investigate allegations and counter allegations being flung by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and her deputy commissioners to save the deteriorating image of the country’s election management body.
The Chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei in a response to a petition demanding her removal by some staff of the EC, accused her two deputies of corruption and arrogance.
Mrs. Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, one of her deputy commissioners responded to the claims by her boss by justifying some decisions taken without recourse to due process.
But in a statement, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) said government through the relevant state agencies must take swift action to ensure that appropriate and thorough investigations are conducted into these matters.
According to GII, “this is the only way to halt any further degeneration of the integrity of the Commission and restore public confidence in the organisation.”
The statement signed by Linda Ofori-Kwafo Executive Director of GII added that “though several issues have come to the fore as a result of these allegations that require investigations, GII is specifically calling for thorough investigations into the matters bothering on abuse of office and corruption.
“Specific mention can be made of the following allegations: i. The Involvement of the two Deputy Chairpersons of the Commission in procurement irregularities in May 2015 involving $22.3 and $16.4m for the purchase of BVDs
– ii. The Deputy Chairperson signing contracts worth over GHS40m without requisite approval and authorization.
– iii. The Deputy Chairperson collection of GHC6m (Six million Ghana cedis) from political parties for the conduct of party primaries without recourse to the structures of the Electoral Commission iv. The illegal vote transfers on the Voter management System by the Deputy Chairperson in charge of Operations.
“Furthermore, GII calls on the office of the President to update Ghanaians on the status of the petition received from the “concerned staff’ of the Commission on the Chairperson, Mrs. Charlotte Osei.
“GII also wish to commend EOCO for commencing investigations into earlier allegations.
“Finally, GII wants to appeal to politicians to desist from the politicization of these matters and allow due process to be followed in order not to undermine the importance of the Commission in Ghana’s democratic process.”
