President Akufo-Addo is set to name a replacement for removed Electoral Commission chairperson, Charlotte Osei.
Speaking to Citi News, he said although an exact date cannot be given as to when Akufo-Addo will name the new EC boss, an announcement to that effect will be done soon.
“I can assure you that as quickly as possible the president of the republic will make some announcement as to the replacement. I wouldn’t be able to say if it is going to be a day, two days or a week, but as quickly as possible, the president will make an announcement in this regard,” Eugene Arhin said.
President Akufo-Addo on Thursday night announced in a statement that he had removed the Electoral Commission chairperson, Charlotte Osei and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah following the receipt of a report from a committee set up by the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, pursuant to Article 146(4) of the Constitution, to investigate separate complaints brought against her and her two deputies.
The Committee concluded that Charlotte Osei blatantly breached procurement laws in the award of several contracts in her three-year period at the helm of affairs, prior to the 2016 elections.
Excerpts of the report released by government and made available to Citi News, says the committee investigated six separate allegations of various procurement breaches, for which a prima facie case was established against Madam Charlotte Osei.
The Committee recommended their removal on the basis of stated misbehavior and incompetence, pursuant to Article 146 (1) of the Constitution.
The provisions of Article 146 (9) of the Constitution require the President to act in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee.
The removal of the three (3) officials come at a time when the country is considering holding elections for MMDCEs and also a possible referendum for the creation of new regions as well as begin preparations for general elections in 2020.
Many have expressed concern that the development may slow down the various expected electoral processes, but a private legal practitioner, Yaw Oppong, believes that the development will not affect the expected referendum on the creation of new regions.
Mr. Oppong argued that the EC has still been functioning nationwide for the past 12 months despite the controversy.
“…They have been performing the functions in the region and even in Accra, the capital, and political party elections are being organized and supervised by them and I think they have fairly performed their functions to the satisfaction of those concerned.”
“So I think that in the absence of a couple of them having some kind of judicial process, the Electoral Commission is an institution. It is not an embodiment of personalities and the processes can go on smoothly without any problem which would have occurred because they may not be able to perform their functions.”
No name has so far been suggested as a possible replacement for Charlotte Osei, who was Ghana’s first female Electoral Commissioner.
Source: citinewsroom.com
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FOR STAFF IN THE COMMISSION, WE ARE WAITING FOR OUR JUBILATION. THESE COMMISSIONERS WERE NOT FAIR EVEN TO THEIR STAFF. FOR OVER TEN YEARS NO STAFF HAS BEEN PROMOTED. THEY WERE PURELY BEING CONTROLLED BY POLITICIANS. INTERNAL TRANSFERS WERE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. IT WAS PURELY CREATE LOOT AND SHARE. GOD HAS A WAY OF BRINGING HIS OWN PEOPLE DOWN IF FIRST THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE HIS GOOD WORK. HOW MANY OF COMMISSION STAFF WERE FOLLOWING THEM? IF THEY HAVE THEIR STAFF AT HEART, IT IS THE STAFF THAT SHOULD FIRST PROTEST FOR THEM NOT POLITICAL PARTIES. THE MONIES ARE WITH THEM, THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO REFUND EVERY AMOUNT.IT WAS WHO WILL MAKE MORE MONEY. HOW COME THE CHARGES ALL RELATE TO PROCUREMENTS. THE MORE U AWARD THE MORE U GET. THE NEXT PERSON EOCO SHOULD FOLLOW IS THE DIRECTOR FINANCE WHO WITHIN FOUR YEARS WAS APPOINTED DIRECTOR FINANCE.HIS DEPUTY AT AUDIT BECAME CHIEF ACCOUNTANT AND ANOTHER STAFF IN THE SAME OFFICE INTERNAL AUDITOR.THE INTERNAL AUDITOR NOT BEING HAPPY OF THESE DUBIOUS PRACTICES RESIGNED. WHAT DO U THINK IT WILL HAPPENED? IT WAS THE SAME PERSON WHO REVEALED EVERY INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR DEALINGS TO CHARLOTTE AND LATER JOIN THE OTHER SIDE. IT IS A FACT THAT HE WROTE THE PETITION FOR THE PETITIONERS BECAUSE HE HAD ALL THESE INFO AGAINST THE CHAIR. TO GINA AND SULLEY IT A NICE LESSON BECAUSE THIS GUY WAS ALMOST DOING EVERYTHING FOR THEM INTERNALLY.WE ONLY KEPT QUIET BECAUSE OF INTIMIDATION AND GAVE EVERYTHING TO GOD. THE WORK OF GOD,NO ONE REPORTED THEM. THE PETITIONERS WERE THEIR OWN PARTY INFORMANTS WHO GIVE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL INFO TO THEM. GOD IS REALLY GREAT.GO AND LOOK AT THE INVESTMENT THE DIRECTOR FINANCE WHOSE FIRST JOB WITH THE EC HAS DONE. HE CREATE IT BIG FOR THEM
Bawa learn to be matured and stop the historic attitude. If you cannot read, can't you hear what the voices are saying. learn to respect the elderly, logic, laws and principles. The woman charlotte has faulted in leadership. How can a one be a coach for a team if the players do things outside the leader's or coaches instructions. She just messed up in direction and human relations at her office. Bawa do not support blindly because i know you do not understand the whole issue but want to play it on the political field. God bless Ghana
BAWA I THINK YOU ARE GOING CRAZY, YOU ARE GETTING MAD COW DISEASE
@BAWA. Eeiiii, BAAAWA. Hmmmmm. The three commissioners sacked themselves by their accusations against each other - COMPLETE MISBEHAVIOUR. There is NO WAY any of them could have continued to work at the EC considering how far they disgraced themselves in public.
GOD WILL PUNISH AKUFO ADDO FOR EC BOSS SACK INCLUDING ALL THE PETITIONERS ESPECIALLY AKUFO ADDO. ALL THOSE BEHIND HER SACK.THE ALIBINO MINISTER OF INFORMATION IS ALSO INCLUDED FOR ANNOUNCING IT. AKUFO ADDO SISTER CJ HAS ENCOURAGE HER BROTHER FOR SACKING THE EC BOSS THRU THE PETITIONERS WILL JOIN THE CASUALTIES.
That man seems to be capable.
Good move. Appoint a credible person to that position..... The commissioners must be gender balanced unlike 2 males and 5 females as we had before. Restore the previous logo of the EC and dump the voodoo logo brought by the incompetent and arrogant Charlotte Osei..
thanks you very much Mr. president of vision and competency, well done once again but appoint a very competent and incorruptible person like you and very young for the sake of mother Ghana.