President of Policy think tank IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has waded into the ongoing debate on the dismissal of three Electoral Commission bosses, wondering if their dismissal was a good idea and subtly compared it to what actually goes on at a military tribunal.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo fired Charlotte Osei and her two deputies on Thursday, 28 June following investigations conducted into alleged acts of corruption involving the three by a five-member committee set up by the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo,
Mr. Cudjoe joins a great number of concerned citizens who not only see this step as unnecessary but also as a grave political error, suggesting bias.
In a series of Facebook posts, Mr Cudjoe asked for the ‘real reason’ for the dismissal suggesting other explanations that might follow the dismissal may be masked or inaccurate.
Describing the matter as “a political hot potato”, he also believed the timing of these dismissals were distractions as the Nana Akufo-Addo administration he opined, is ‘yet to realize any of their economic projects’.
“Can we see the real reasons for the removal of the Electoral Commission? How different is this from a military tribunal? Just asking.
A political hot potato. Why cause needless distraction when you are yet to realize any of your flagship economic projects? Ah! Sad,” he wrote.
Meanwhile founder of policy think tank Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere- Darko has also shared his opinion on the matter, arguing that the removal of Charlotte Osei as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission alongside her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah and has nothing to do with the government, political parties or civil society groups.
In a Facebook post, he wrote, “Let it be stressed that the events that led to the removal of the EC chairperson and her two deputies had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the government, political parties or even civil society groups.
“It started (we must all recall because it was all in the media) with infighting at the very top of the Commission shortly after the Dec 2016 elections. All gloves were off. The EC Chairperson and her two deputies began throwing mud at each other - publicly! They accused each other of corruption and abuse of power. They were soon joined by staff members of the EC.
“It is what they said about each other, the evidence they provided against each other, and the decision by their respective supporters to compile all the pieces of evidence into separate petitions which their own loyalists filed that triggered the constitutional process which eventually led to their removal, after full hearings. The President had a simple perfunctory but important role to play and that role was strictly provided by the Constitution.
“First, he had no choice but to pass on the petitions to the Chief Justice once received. Secondly, he had no option, per the Constitution, but to act according to the recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry once received. This is the truth and the whole truth according to the facts and the law.”
Leaders of the main opposition party, the NDC have since organized a presser expressing their distaste for the various dismissal s and have threatened a protest on the matter.
President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe