The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has hailed the sacking of Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, and her two deputies by the President.

In a statement, National Chairman of the party, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, said: “We are satisfied that Chief Justice’s Committee has followed due process to sponge down the Electoral Commission of abuse of power, arrogance and complete disregard for public law and order.

“We thank the President for acting with urgency on the recommendations and applying the law without fear or favour. We call on the President to make the committee’s report public in accordance with the citizens right to information under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution,” the statement added.

The statement further called on President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to appoint a Ghanaian of high integrity who will “put the National interest first, and conduct their affairs in accordance with stated public policy and live above partisanship ..." to replace Mrs Osei.

Below is a copy of the full statement:

The Progressive People’s Party would like to acknowledge with gratitude the efforts put in by the five-member committee set up by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Sophia Akuffo, to investigate and make recommendations to the President on the corruption allegations against the Electoral Commission Chairperson, and her two deputies, in accordance with article 146 (4)(5) of the 1992 Constitution.

We are not surprised at all with the outcome of the investigation. The EC Commissioners themselves had prepared the nation for this end result because of their own public accusation of gross violations of our procurement laws and their articles of engagement.

We believe that the independence and autonomy of the EC has been given a boost. This will engender a degree of public confidence and put to rest, the soiled image of the Commission, and the rot in which the EC Commissioners themselves told us they wallowed in.

We are satisfied that Chief Justice’s Committee has followed due process to sponge down the Electoral Commission of abuse of power, arrogance and complete disregard for public law and order.

We thank the President for acting with urgency on the recommendations and applying the law without fear or favour. We call on the President to make the committee’s report public in accordance with the citizens right to information under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution.

It is our considered opinion that if this report is made available to the PPP, it will inform our next line of action; which will include, reporting Mrs Charlotte Osei to the BNI for her immediate arrest also based on facts we have gathered in our dealings with the EC.

We call on President Akufo Addo to appoint Ghanaians of high integrity to the Commission who will put the National interest first, and conduct their affairs in accordance with stated public policy and live above partisanship so that our Electoral Commission will symbolize fair play, justice, selflessness, objectivity, transparency, accountability, honesty, independence, integrity and strong leadership.

It is our expectation that public officers will remain committed, diligent, patriotic and revere the rule of law so that, citizens do not gladly exercise their powers under the constitution to remove them from office. Our prayer is that this unfortunate and disgraceful spectacle should not befall anyone. 

As a law-abiding party, our shared responsibility is to educate Ghanaians on why our democracy takes place in a framework of a Presidential representative democratic republic, with the President as both head of state and head of government, and with multi-party democracy as our accepted form of democracy. 

We shall continue to contribute constructively to the development and improvement of Ghana by defending the existence of legally approved political parties as the most effective way towards progress in our nation.

#Awake Ghana

Signed:

Nii Allotey Brew Hammond

National Chairman 

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