The Christian Council of Ghana is has proposed the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms to address the problems at the Electoral Commission (EC) and ensure a truce following the growing tensions between the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei and employees of the commission.
Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, the General Secretary of the Council, implored the EC to be mindful of the fact it needed stability to prepare for and ensure a successful 2020 election.
“We must keep in mind the 2020 general elections of this country; the national cohesion that we need and peace. Therefore, anything that will set the stage and prepare the ground even for electoral tension must be taken care of,” Dr. Opuni Frimpong said to Citi News.
He reminded that “before the 2016 general elections, we were calling for peace before, during and after the elections. But after the elections, almost all the issues that are being raised either by the staff of the EC or the EC Chairperson, are all 2016 general election related.”
The fracas at the EC came to the fore after some employees of commission petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo to dismiss Charlotte Osei for alleged financial malfeasance.
Among other things, the aggrieved employees claimed that Mrs Osei unilaterally awarded a GHc 3.9 million contract for the demarcation and partitioning of an office complex without engaging the Commission and indulged in cronyism by awarding another contract to the tune of $14,310,961 to associates for the construction of prefabricated District offices.
Mrs. Osei rubbished the allegations and fired some of her own, accusing Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Operations at the EC, Amadu Sulley, of plundering some GHC 6 million from political parties without informing the Commission’s Finance Department.
She said the political party primaries were treated as a private commercial project by Amadu Sulley, noting that funds were paid directly into the personal accounts of key staff for functions to be performed at the primaries.
Mrs. Osei thus said she will order investigations into the conduct of Amadu Sulley and other Commissioners believed to be engaged in malpractices.
Prior to the petition, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), had been interrogating the EC’s Director of Finance, Dr. Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, a Deputy EC Chair, and another official over their alleged involvement in the loss of GHc480,000 from the Commission’s Staff Endowment Fund.
Charlotte Osei had directed the three to step aside for the investigations.
In a response to Charlotte Osei’s directive to proceed on leave, Dr. Asamoah claimed he was not at post as the Director of Finance nor was he in any position to influence management’s decision regarding financial administration of the Endowment Fund during the period of the alleged loss.
Official communication between the EC Chairperson and Dr. Asamaoh shows later indicated that he was indeed not at post when the money went missing from the Commission’s Staff Endowment Fund.
Source: citifmonline.com
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Rev, why truce? If it were simply a matter of personality clashes, then I would agree with you. But not with the very serious allegations and counter-allegations coming up. How can these be swept under the carpet? I thought being a man of God, you would rather perceive the providential hand of God in all this,causing these heads to be singing out all these unsolicited songs? Please, come again, Reverend
this has nothing to do with the mandates of the christian council. here we have an important organization like the electoral commission of ghana with very serious allegation coming from the top management and you as christian leaders are calling for a truce. for what? to sweep the allegations under the carpet and forget it? that will certainly be very irresponsible on the part of the npp government and dangerous for their survival and the country at large. the christian council should just ***barred word*** and let the systems clean up the charlotte osei and her gang of dishonest deputies, especially amadu sulley!
Why is an organisation like the Christian Council calling for a her truce? As Ghanaians don't we have the right to determine who is speaking the truth from the accusations and counter-accusations? we all have a stake in the Electoral Commission so we need to know what is going on. A truce would never settle the matter it is only an investigation that would. Please commissioners keep firing from all cylinders. Tell us, did anyone steal someone's panties? We are all ears