Christian Council, eminent persons must step aside from EC advisory board – Mahama

Members of the Christian Council and other eminent individuals in society must avoid taking up roles on the 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee set-up by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, former President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned.

The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), who is seeking a return to the Office of the President, has expressed reservation about the establishment of the committee.

He suggests it could result in a conflict of interest, bias and lack of credible institutions to resolve an electoral dispute.

The committee is chaired by a former Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Emile Short. It is aimed at addressing concerns and interests of the citizenry and providing counsel to the EC on important matters.

The committee, has a former President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie as the Deputy Chairperson.

The other members are Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, Chairman of the National Peace Council; Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, National Chief Imam; Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih, Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community; Rt. Rev Paul Kwabena Boafo, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana; Nana Ato Dadzie, a former Chief of Staff and Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, President of the National Charismatic Christian Churches.

The others are Rev Dr Cyril G.K. Fayose, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana; Mr Tony Forson, President of the Ghana Bar Association; Rev. Dr Paul Frimpong-Manso, Head of the Pentecostal Council; Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana; Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, a Gender Advocate and Mr Roland Affail Monney, President of the GJA.

The rest are Nana Kobina Nketia V, Omanhene of the Essikado Traditional Area; Eric Oduro Osae, Advocate for decentralisation and democratic development in Ghana, Rev. Ekua Buabema Ofori-Boateng, Managing Director of ILF Consulting Engineers; Mr Sam Okudzeto, a Member of the Council of State; Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana and Dr Yaw Baah, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress.

Speaking at a meeting with the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Mahama pointed out that activities ahead of the 2020 elections will call for independent arbitrators.

“I think that it would be better our Christian Council and our eminent people sit aside and then when we have a problem then we come to you and then you are not partial and you have nothing to do with the decisions that we have taken because there are a lot of issues that are going to come up”.

He listed a new voters’ register, Representation of the People Amendment Law (ROPAL) and a new information technology system for the EC as some of the issues that could be subject of disagreements where the expertise of the imminent people will be needed to address the concerns to prevent chaos.

“If the Eminent Persons’ Advisory Council is the one advising the EC on these matters and we don’t agree on, who else are we going back to, to come and resolve the issues for us,” he lamented.

“The same voice of moral society that we count on when things are going bad are the same people they’ve put on the eminent persons’ advisory council.  Organisations like yours (Christian Council) and eminent people from your organisation and other organisations that step in when the political parties are at each other’s throat are on the eminent persons’ advisory council”.

He wondered how such persons could be on the EC Eminent Advisory Committee be able to offer constructive criticisms when political parties and other entities have concerns against the election management body.