EC & Supreme Court placed Ghanaians in severe danger – Ex-Council of State Member

A Statesman, Nana Kodua Kesse II, has described as reckless the compilation of the new Voters register by the Electoral Commission (EC) amid raging Coronavirus pandemic.

According to him, Ghanaians are defying the odds of COVID-19 to express their disdain to abuse of power.

His comments, come as the COVID-19 cases continue to shoot up with many state officials, including cabinet ministers, like Dan Botwe, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Kweku Agyemang in hospital undergoing treatment for the virus.

The traditional ruler's concerns, come as the country mourns the loss of ex-General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie alias "Sir John".

Also admitted at the hospital for COVID-19, is a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West Constituency and Peter Mac Manu, the board chairman of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authourity (GHAPOHA) and the campaign manager for Akufo-Addo's re-election bid.

The former Council of State Member, was also unhappy with the Supreme Court, saying it ignored all these dangers and even upheld the exclusion of old Voters ID card as a requirement of proof of citizens identity.

Nana Kodua Kesse II, who is the Oyokohene and Adontenhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, blamed the Supreme Court led by the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah for putting Ghanaians in a situation where they had to defend their citizenship by defying the odds, but with caution to register in their numbers to express their disdain to abuse of power.

He believes, the EC should have placed the health of Ghanaians above parochial political interest by listening to advise of various groups, including Chiefs to abandon the belated compilation exercise.

He could not believe that the peoples' health, were being sacrificed for power, describing it as reckless.

Nana Kodua Kesse II, said though the Electoral Commission has put in place basic preventive measures at registration centers, it is being flouted in many areas, adding that the registration exercise which has triggered a lot of movements and contacts in the country, could increase the spread of the Coronavirus disease.

"The good people of Ghana spoke calling on the EC to suspend the compilation of the New Voters' Register since its implementation would increase the spread of Coronavirus but the EC didn't listen. I think it is a rash decision where we are sacrificing lives of Ghanaians for Political power. We are endangering the health of Millions of Ghanaians. The nose mask we know protects little".

COVID-19 deaths in Ghana now stand at 117 with 4,941 active cases and 14,330 recoveries, the Ghana Health Service has announced on Wednesday night. The development means five more persons have died from the last count. Total confirmed cases are 19,388.

The Statesman, believes the Supreme Court having ignored all these dangers and even upheld the exclusion of old Voters ID card as a requirement of proof of citizens identity, the only opportunity for Ghanaians to defend their citizenship is to defy the odds, but with caution to register in their numbers to express their disdain to abuse of power.