Audio By Carbonatix
Pressure has been mounted on the Electoral Commission to be "comprehensively audited" following full-blown media battle between the chairperson, deputies and staff.
Vice-President at IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil said for years the EC has used its constitutional protection of its independence, to do "whatever they want".
Charlotte Osei, the second chair person of the 25-year-old commission is facing a mutiny from her staff who accuse her of managerial incompetence, doubtful political neutrality, and breaches of contracts and the Public Procurement Act.
Her detailed response rejecting the accusations has also roped in two other deputies, commissioner in charge of Operations, Amadu Sulley and Commissioner in charge of Corporate Services, Georgina Opoku Amankwah.
The concerned staff want her out and have triggered impeachment processes set out in the Constitution.
Charlotte Osei has also vowed to get her two deputies investigated for allegations, some bordering on crime.
The revelations have left the country stunned.
Adding to calls by veteran journalist, Kweku Baako for investigations, Kofi Bentil observed the implosion at the EC was just a matter of time.
He said Mrs. Charlotte Osei "very early on, started complaining" about the state of the commission after her appointment in June 2015.
The political activist and lawyer said the chair tried to use "unorthodox" methods to run the commission without her managers.
Bentil said the problem at the EC "is not a Charlotte Osei problem" but an accountability issue.
According to him, attempts to audit the accounts of the EC during the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by John Agyekum Kufuor, was resisted. But Mr. Bentil argued, 'independence cannot mean, you cannot be audited'.
He expressed shock that a general election in Ghana could be priced at $900m by the Electoral Commission.
He wants every allegation made against the EC Chair as well as those made by the Chair, to be investigated.
The member of pressure group Occupy Ghana, warned, the Commission could lose focus and become "something else" if the issues are not resolved.
Latest Stories
-
‘Where is the presumption of innocence?’ – Tuah-Yeboah on Partey visa refusal
56 seconds -
GFA President and Ambassador Smith meet top police command in Providence ahead of Ghana’s World Cup opener
18 minutes -
Nothing stops OSP from pursuing Ghana case despite Ofori-Atta’s permanent residency request – Tuah-Yeboah
21 minutes -
Thousands of Ghanaian pupils attend schools near toxic sites, study finds
21 minutes -
Say no to single life
31 minutes -
Accra Institute of Technology matriculates students for 2025/2026 academic year
36 minutes -
Foresters demand arrest and prosecution after violent attack on Babatokuma Forestry Commission checkpoint
38 minutes -
GoldBod, Armed Forces and Forestry Commission launch national land reclamation project
39 minutes -
Ghana Boundary Commission launches African Border Day activities with water project in Bawku West
48 minutes -
Mfantsiman Old Girls’ Association to hold nationwide health walk on June 27
49 minutes -
Ghana, Burkina Faso launch fresh push to reaffirm shared border
57 minutes -
Ghana urged to use data science, AI to solve Ghana’s perennial flooding problem
58 minutes -
Musk’s SpaceX buys AI coding start-up for $60bn days after IPO
1 hour -
Sandy Asare celebrates God’s grace in new single ‘Ɛyɛ Awurade’
1 hour -
Kennedy Agyapong chides NPP for faiing to complete Afari Military Hospital after eight years in office
1 hour