Entire EC leadership should be removed – Asiedu Nketia
The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has stated that he wants the entire Electoral Commission (EC) leadership removed from office.
Speaking in an interview in his local dialect (Twi) on Radio Gold, Mr Asiedu Nketia said that, in line with the NDC’s reset agenda, he believes that all top-ranking officials of the Electoral Commission ought to be removed.
Asiedu Nketia’s claim
“I (Johnson Asiedu Nketia) am the one who started the whole conversation about the removal of high-ranking officers at various state institutions, including the Auditor General, the Electoral Commission, among others,” Mr Asiedu Nketia stated in the interview.
“The fact that the NDC won the 2024 election does not turn the EC Chair, Mrs Jean Mensa, into an angel. Left with me alone, she should be removed together with the entire leadership of the Electoral Commission,” Mr Asiedu Nketia further remarked.
The commissioners
Mrs Jean Mensa currently chairs the Electoral Commission of Ghana. She is a barrister at law and a leader of thought in Ghana on governance and democratic issues. She is experienced in economic and political policy development in Ghana and has long championed equity and the rule of law. Her two deputy commissioners assist her.
First is Dr Bossman Eric Asare, who was the head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Legon, and is now the deputy commissioner in charge of corporate services at the EC. He holds a Master of Arts Degree in International Affairs from Ohio University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Political Science from West Virginia University.
Second is Mr Samuel Tettey, deputy commissioner in charge of operations. He previously served as the Director of Electoral Services (Elections) at the Electoral Commission, a position he held from January 2014. He has held several positions in the Electoral Commission, including district electoral officer in the Awutu/Effutu/Senya District and central regional director of the Commission.
Other members of the Electoral Commission are Reverend Akua Ofori-Boateng, a priest with the Anglican Diocese of Accra. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics from Miami University, a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree from Indiana University, and a Master of Arts degree from Trinity Theological Seminary.
Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, also a commissioner of the EC, also serves as the head of the global remittances’ unit at ADB Bank PLC. She holds a Certificate in Corporate Governance and Leadership, Accra Business School, a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Development Studies, University for Development Studies (UDS), a Master of Science in Finance and Accounting, Accra Business School, affiliated with KNUST, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Project Management, Ghana.
The EC
The Electoral Commission is one of the governance institutions provided under the 1992 constitution. The Commission was established by the Electoral Commission Act (Act 451) of 1993.
It was set up to manage the conduct of all public elections and Referendums and to handle all matters directly related to the conduct of elections in the country. It is made up of seven members: a chairman, two deputy chairmen, and four other members.
Article 46 of the 1992 constitution provides that” in the performance of its functions, the Electoral Commission shall not be subject to the control or direction of any authority” except as provided in the constitution or any other law not inconsistent with the constitution.
The Chairperson and the two Deputy Chairpersons have permanent tenure of office and enjoy the same conditions of service as justices of the Superior Courts.
The Electoral Commission has the power to appoint its officers and other employees, acting in consultation with the Public Service Commission. The Electoral Commission’s administrative expenses, including salaries, allowances, and pensions, are chargeable to the Consolidated Fund.
