Akufo-Addo to decide on EC brouhaha

President Akufo-Addo is expected to take a decision on the wrangling at the electoral commission following his arrival from France, where he was on a state visit.

According to the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, the President will take a decision which is backed by the Constitution.

The electoral commission has been fraught with controversies over the last one week with the commissioners at each others throat.

The public spat started after some unknown staff of the commission, through their lawyer, petitioned the president to remove Charlotte Osei as the chair of the commission.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Osei has sued the lawyer who is presenting the faceless petitioners.

In a suit filed at the court Tuesday, the EC chair is among other things, asking the court to make a “declaration that the statements that Plaintiff is “managerially and administratively inept” because Plaintiff has no respect for the organisational structure of the Electoral Commission, “has poor human relations not befitting of any leader in public space”, has “unilaterally transferred District Electoral Officers perceived to be pro-NPP”, “…polarized the Commission along political lines” and disunited its members out at paragraphs 11, 12, 13, 20, 21 and 26 of the petition attached to Defendant’s letter conveying the petition to his Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff.

“A declaration that the statements that Plaintiff “has constituted herself into the Commission’s Tender Review Committee contrary to the Procurement Act”, “unilaterally awarded a contract of about $25,000 to a South African company…to change and re-develop the Commission’s logo under the guise of rebranding…” set out at paragraphs 6, 18, 23, 27 of the petition attached to Defendant’s letter conveying the petition to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff.

“A declaration that the statements that Plaintiff nearly pushed Ghana “to the precipices” by her “political posture” prior to the conduct of the 2016 General Elections, has a political bias and prejudice against Ghanaians who support the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by antagonizing the “NPP prior to the 2016 general elections brought embarrassment to the Commission” through her arrogant posture set out at paragraphs 3, 4, 14, 19 of the petition attached to Defendant’s letter conveying the petition to his Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff.

“A declaration that the statements that Plaintiff “has been engaging in cronyism by awarding contracts to the tune of $14,310,961.00 to her cronies” the value of which contract sums exceed the approved threshold of the PPA the details of which statements are set out at paragraph 8 of the petition attached to Defendant’s letter conveying the contents of the petition to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff.

v. General damages for libel against Defendant for publishing and or causing to be published the aforesaid words of and concurring in Plaintiff.

” An order of the Honourable Court directed at the Defendant to publish a retraction and an apology with the same prominence as the defamatory words on his Facebook page as well as one publication in the Daily Graphic.

“An injunction restraining the Defendant whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise from authorizing permitting and/or causing to be published the same or similar words defamatory of the Plaintiffs.