There is an outpouring of anger in the Nabdam Constituency over the election of a civil servant, Francis Wongnab, as constituency secretary at the recent polls of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) held across the Upper East region and the rest of the country.
Some disappointed supporters of the ruling party say the election of Mr. Wongnab, an accountant at the Talensi District Assembly, is a grievous illegality as it is in complete breach of Article 94 (3) (b) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
Whilst expressing fears the development could summon a needless backlash from opposition parties, particularly from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the angry members also pointed at Article 12 of the Ghana Civil Service Code of Conduct, which highlights the need for civil servants to steer clear of active partisan politics, to buttress their claims.
“We are not accepting this! Francis Wongnab is not officially known to the NPP members. He’s a civil servant who works with the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department at the Talensi District Assembly and he’s a member of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG). We know him to be a PNC (People’s National Convention) member who has not even renounced his PNC membership card.
“And if you’re joining a new party, that new party has to write officially to welcome you. The NPP hasn’t done that. What kind of illegality is this! This is a big slap in the face of the constitution. Are we saying the laws of this country are not working anymore? We don’t recognise him as our constituency secretary! Let’s hear he has been invited to represent us anywhere as a constituency secretary and watch where things will land in this land,” said Peter Tong, one of the agitated NPP members in the constituency.
Party Leadership snubbed our Petition— Defeated Secretary
Mr. Wongnab polled 97 votes to unhorse incumbent Maxwell Wooma and Daniel Animah Pidoug who obtained 80 and 65 votes respectively.
A dissatisfied Wooma told Starr News party authorities were heedless of loud warnings after a petition challenging the eligibility of the civil servant was filed before the conduct of the constituency elections last Saturday.
“We raised a petition to the Constituency Election Committee that we needed to respect the rules that governed elections in this country, that we needed to respect the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. And the rules are very clear that one that is a staff of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, one that is a registered member of CLOGSAG, cannot be actively involved in partisan politics. The NPP is a party that believes in the rule of law, constitutionality of its activities.
“The Constituency Election Committee did not treat the petition with the due diligence it deserved and allowed a civil servant to contest this election and has meandered his way through. You would recall that on Friday February 23, on the eve of the elections, there was a press release from the office of the National President of CLOGSAG, warning all members of CLOGSAG to desist from moving into active partisan politics. They were either to resign or choose politics. This man, Francis Wongnab, defied all these instructions from the National President and contested this election,” Mr. Wooma fumed.
I cannot bar Member from Contesting— CLOGSAG Chairman
When Starr News contacted the disputed new constituency secretary, he indicated, as he chose his words cautiously, that he would meet with the aggrieved party supporters to calm their nerves.
“All those people protesting are my brothers. We are yet to meet after the election. We are yet to meet and talk. I don’t want to say anything that would upset my brothers. I respect them. They are very hardworking. I need their support to succeed as a secretary. There was a petition to the party elders. I didn’t decide on that petition. That’s all I can say,” Mr. Wongnab responded.
The Upper East Regional Chairman of CLOGSAG, Naba Paul Agoo, whose association had circulated a strong reminder hours to the elections warning members to keep off the slippery corridors of active partisan politics, said he had no power to have prevented Mr. Wongnab from taking part in that contest.
“CLOGSAG is an association. And an association is an association. He’s working with a department. If they (the agitators) so wish, they should go to that department. I cannot say he shouldn’t stand. I’m not his employer. I cannot tell him to stand or not to stand. They know where he works. I cannot do anything,” the Regional Chairman told Starr News.
As pressure mounted for Mr. Wongnab to choose between civil service and open partisan politics, Starr News made attempts to hear from the Chairman in charge of the Constituency Election Committee in Nabdam, Edmund Awuni.
The efforts failed as the chairman deferred the hearing, indicating that he would call back in no time. But he did not. And he did not reply to a reminder text message forwarded to him Friday morning before this report was filed.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Edward Adeti
