Abide by rules of engagement or get sacked - Volta EC to its officials

Mr Dogbey Adukpo Selormey, Volta Regional Director of Electoral Commission (EC) has said the Commission would descend heavily on any of its officials who flouted laid-down rules of the new voter registration exercise.

He said the ‘’Commission will come hard on any official, who failed to work within a set of rules.

Mr Selormey stated these claims in response to allegations levelled against him by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Adaklu District of him attempting to slow down the voter registration exercise, which was copied to the Ghana News Agency.

The NDC statement signed by Mr Charles Agbesi, Adaklu Constituency Secretary complained of a deliberate attempt to slow down the exercise, which led to the withdrawal of two Registration Officers (ROs) at the Adaklu Kpodzi E. P. Primary centre.

Mr Selormey said it cannot be right for all ROs to be engaged in the writing of names of registrants at the same time as one is expected to be on standby for any eventuality and partnering with the Police and health agent to maintain sanity and observance of the safety protocols.

He said their attitude compromised the social distancing protocols as people massed up at the data entry area throwing the exercise into disarray.

He said cautions could not assuage the ROs to do the right things hence their replacement.

Mr Selormey explained that it is not in the interest of the EC to undertake measures to disenfranchise any citizen that is qualified to register to vote or favour a side of the political divide.

‘’This cannot be a contest, where the referee is compromised, at best we are on the middle line and remain neutral as always.’’

He commended the fruitful collaboration between the EC, State Police and the community, which had improved on the observance of health protocols towards the safety of the population against COVID-19.

The Regional Director said the Commission was committed to registering all prospective registrants with genuine documents and would not countenance on social distancing measures as that had serious repercussions to spike on infection of the pandemic.