Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako, has called for an end to the ethnocentric sentiments being expressed by politicians on the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) claims that about 76,000 names of Togolese nationals are in Ghana's electoral register.
Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", Mr. Baako noted that the ethnic connotations will inflame passions to the neglect of the substantive matter for discussion.
According to him, discussions should be centered on the claims of irregularities in the voters' register by the NPP's Running mate, Dr. Bawumia.
He said the issues should be verified to ascertain the veracity of Dr. Bawumia's exposition and the NPP's request for a new voters' register.
“This should be a time for cool heads, reading ethnocentric meanings into the issue will only inflame ethnic passions and it can be really dangerous,” he said.
The Senior Journalist further posited that Ghana's Foreign Affairs Ministry had no business contacting Togo's Electoral Commission over claims that about 76,000 nationals of that country are in Ghana’s electoral roll, saying it was the duty of the Electoral Commission, the constitutionally mandated body, to do so.
An investigative team - using biometric facial recognition technology - set up by the NPP to examine circumstances under which Ghana’s voters' register had an unusually high voter population revealed that, found potential matches of 76,000 names in both the Togolese voters’ register and that of Ghana.
Following these shocking revelations, Ghana's Foreign Affairs Ministry reportedly held a meeting with Togo's EC where their electoral body's Chairman, Professor Kpatcha Tokonda Kossi disclosed that he had not released the country's voters' register to anyone.
He stated emphatically that the register being a sovereign legal document was seriously monitored by his Commission and therefore impossible for anyone to lay hands on it because it is always kept under guard.
But Mr. Baako told host Nana Yaw that it was not the duty of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to meet with Togo's EC.
To him, the Foreign Affairs' move was improper and would have preferred "Ghana mission did not suddenly, immediately and quickly get involved in this matter. I think it is wrong."
“The EC should be the most appropriate body to deal with the issue; the Foreign Affairs Ministry can facilitate it rather than having a direct contact. Even if they did it should have been a highly undisclosed matter."
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