The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that he had no choice but to act on the recommendations of the Committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate complaints against the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah.
Speaking publicly on the matter for the first time on Saturday, 30th June, 2018, at a townhall meeting with Ghanaians resident in Nouakchott, Mauritania, ahead of the conduct of the 31st AU Summit, President Akufo-Addo explained that he is duty bound to uphold the teachings of the Constitution.
According to the President, whenever a petition for the removal of a high-ranking public official, like the Electoral Commissioner, is forwarded to the President, all the President has to do, as is stipulated in the Constitution, is to refer the petition to Chief Justice, for her to decide if there is a prima facie case or not.
Once a prima facie case is established, the Chief Justice, in accordance with Article 146(4) of the Constitution, must establish a Committee to investigate the complaints. The Committee, in turn will make its recommendations to the Chief Justice, who shall, then, forward it to the President.
The Committee, the President noted, was composed of a Supreme Court Judge, two High Court judges, and two persons, who are neither lawyers nor Members of Parliament, and who were appointed by the Chief Justice on the advice of the Council of State.
“They (Committee) have been working over the last 6 months, and recommended that the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Charlotte Osei, and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah, be removed from office on the grounds of stated misbehaviour and incompetence,” the President said.
He continued, “Article 146(9) of the Constitution demands that I act on the recommendations of the committee. I have no power to disagree with the recommendations of the Committee, the Constitution does not give me that power. That is why I have removed the Chairperson of the EC and the two deputies.”
Reiterating his commitment to build a country governed by the rule of law, the President indicated that the laws governing our country must not be a respecter of persons.
“I, as President, am bound to respect the laws of our land. If I go against the laws of the country, I will be dealt with. Likewise, if you also go against the laws of the country, you must be dealt with. It is sad (the removal of the three EC Chairs), but this is how it must be,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo stressed that the process that led to the removal of Charlotte Osei and her two deputies “was not borne out of hate, or a deliberate orchestration to remove some persons from their jobs.”
The petitioners, he added, are workers of the Electoral Commission and not faceless persons, as some would want Ghanaians to believe. The President also recounted the publicly documented spat between the 3 former EC chairpersons.
In the search for replacements, the President stated that “we are not looking for persons who are coming to do a job for the NDC or for the NPP. We are looking for persons who are coming to do a job for Ghana. That is what we are looking for, for the Electoral Commission”.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Every good decision that was implemented by the EC during the elections was taken to court before she implemented, even some of the party she rejected their nominations was later ask by the court to accept it. Frankly I think she was overwhelmed by the position.
Anytime someone is so quick to defend his actions, there is about 99% chance that that person is wrong and for that matter guilty. Nana's guilt is haunting him. He knows he is wrong that's why he is talking. If you strongly believe you acted according to the constitution, why do you convince anyone to accept. Constitution is constitution but it's being interpreted by human beings and enforced by men. Man can easily manipulate things and use the constitution to defend himself. There is nothing he does that is not manipulative. Is he not the one who publicly said the cash for seat wouldn't end anywhere and it happened. There is constitution which is the rule of law but he has often thrown it somewhere and cleared all his appointees of wrongdoing. What a liar!
when it favors a politician, he says the constitution says so when agaist, it try all means to avoid it. have all ya appointtees submitted their assets before of bcx its constitutional bound?, was it not constitutional mandate to submit to parliament ya presidential staff and when did you submit it, wasnt at ya appropriate time?. pls nana, the fact that we love you wont make some of us shield you. its better questions like these you plead with the people to decline because the more a president gives reasons for sacking appointte etc, the more people raises issues. i wish you learn a lil from prez kuffour. is not everything you must explain, times plead with the people that for a reason especially the cr.iminal code of politicians for security reasons, ma people i plead to not answer here or now. after all, you didnt pull gun to remove her and its really a point in ya heart you dont hate her. i quite rem how you praised her in ya acceptance or victory speech, left for you alone Ghana will be well but for ya appointtes especially the akyem mafias
You have used the constitution to remove someone, bravo! Someone above would also used his constitution to remove one of these days. Devils incarnate!
devilish president full of vengeance and divisive character
Really!Really! The last election was almost in chaos? And Nana Addo was elected with about 1 million votes more than the incumbent. Why do some of you lie through your teeth? If Charlotte was really an incompetent chair of the EC, then perhaps if she had been competent, nana addo wouldn't have been president. Amazing the way some people reason.
@Jamie ***barred word*** ..Charlotte should bow down your head in shame for acting as god a few months ago on Ayariga, Nduom etc. The last election was almost in chaos .
This president is the funniest president ever. Who says you hate Charlotte osei? Your own conscience is dealing with you. You and your party leadership in opposition swore that when you came to power you would remove her, and it has happened live and colored so don't even try to patronize her. God will be the judge, so don't worry yourself to give an explanation. One day at a time, every ones days are numbered. Amissah Arthur thought he was going to gym and be back, but never returned. You think you and your cohorts own the world, the world belongs to someone. The evil that men do live after them. When you begin to go through tough times, remember that you unjustly took someone's daily bread for your political expediency.God is watching.