Tread with caution on petition to oust EC boss - Gyampo cautions Nana Addo

Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana (UG), Professor Ransford Gyampo, has admonished President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Adddo, to tread with caution when dealing with the petition presented to him by some aggrieved staff of the Electoral Commission (EC), to get the Commissioner Madam Charlotte Osei removed from office.

Communications Director at the presidency, Eugene Arhin has confirmed receipt of the petition from the aggrieved workers who have accused the Commissioner of misconduct. Professor Gyampo took to his Facebook page to advice the president to be careful in dealing with the matter especially when party members of the NPP, criticized the Commissioner in 2016 and accused her of being in bed with the previous administration.

According to the political science lecturer, the former president John Dramani Mahama ignored advice when he appointed the first female commissioner as chair of the electioneering body.

He said, although the NPP won the polls despite their attack on the EC boss, the environment is still polarized hence he [Nana Addo] must be careful in dealing with the matter. ‘’Mr. President, the environment is still polarized. Remember some members of your party pledged to review some last minute appointments of the Mahama government.

Even if one of the substantive charges is proven to be true, it qualifies as misconduct and would be enough for the removal of the EC boss. But Mr President, kindly act in a manner that safeguard the independence of the EC.

The criticism of the appointment of the EC boss by your party people compromises the environment. If care is not taken, the move to impeach the EC boss may be interpreted as partisan and political vendetta.

So, Mr President, please don't forward the petition to the CJ. Rather, meet with the petitioners and counsel them to submit their petition to the CHRAJ or better still, to the courts. Let these bodies go into the matter and offer sanctions where necessary. Let's keep ourselves together as a nation, my humble advice, Sir.’’

Read below the full post by Prof. Gyampo

PETITION TO IMPEACH THE EC BOSS - AN ADVICE TO THE PRESIDENT

When John Mahama was about to appoint the EC chair, we counseled him to move beyond the mere unbinding advice of the Council of State to embrace a cross-partisan approach that also gives room for extensive stakeholder consultation. This proposal was to promote popular acceptance of the appointee and to shore up the legitimacy of the EC boss.

Unfortunately, John Mahama pandered to partisan pressure and followed only the dictates of the constitution. He did nothing wrong legally. However, given how polarized we were at the time, and mindful of the fact that the constitution itself cannot be a sacrosanct document (people have problems with some contents of even the holy books), Mahama would have done a great service to our quest for national cohesion had he deepened consultations in the selection of the EC boss.

So, typical of the then opposition, they criticized the appointment of the EC boss and some traced her membership of the ruling party. Indeed, one of the factors that led to the tensed 2016 election was the suspicion that the referee was in bed with the ruling party. Thankfully, the NPP won the 2016 elections.

But six months into its administration, there is a petition to impeach the EC boss. Some of the charges are very serious while others are dismissively partisan.

Mr. President, the environment is still polarized. Remember some members of your party pledged to review some last minute appointments of the Mahama government. Even if one of the substantive charges is proven to be true, it qualifies as misconduct and would be enough for the removal of the EC boss. But Mr President, kindly act in a manner that safeguard the independence of the EC.

The criticism of the appointment of the EC boss by your party people compromises the environment. If care is not taken, the move to impeach the EC boss may be interpreted as partisan and political vendetta.

So, Mr President, please don't forward the petition to the CJ. Rather, meet with the petitioners and counsel them to submit their petition to the CHRAJ or better still, to the courts.

Let these bodies go into the matter and offer sanctions where necessary. Let's keep ourselves together as a nation, my humble advice, Sir.