A group calling itself the Positive Transparency and Accountability Movement – Ghana (PTAAM-GH) has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa from her position as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, along with her two deputies.
The group argues that the EC chairperson and her deputies – Dr Bossman Asare and Mr Samuel Tettey – have performed abysmally in their roles, citing misconduct and misappropriation of state funds.
The petition, dated 8 January 2025, notes that the commission caused severe financial loss to the state by compiling a new voter register and procuring new biometric devices ahead of the 2020 general election. The group contends that the 2016 register was robust enough to conduct the election.
PTAAM-GH further based their request on the EC’s creation of a constitutional crisis ahead of the 2020 election:
They ignored prudent advice from various stakeholders, including civil society organisations, traditional leaders, religious figures, and political parties, regarding the risks and implications of their decisions. Specifically, the decision to mandate a new voter registration exercise during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic endangered public health and exposed millions of Ghanaians to life-threatening risks.
Another ground for their petition is the accusation that Mensa and her deputies undermined the country’s electoral principles by exhibiting actions that amounted to “gross incompetence, bias, procurement breaches, and poor corporate governance.”
The petition asserts that dismissing Mrs Jean Mensa, Dr Bossman Asare, and Samuel Tettey from their positions will restore the integrity of elections in the country.
Meanwhile, renowned economist and former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has strongly cautioned President John Mahama against dismissing the Chief Justice (CJ) and Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) from their positions. Prof. Adei highlighted that such a move, particularly if driven by political motives, would be detrimental to Ghana’s democracy and set a dangerous precedent for future administrations.
Credit to PulseGhana
