Ablekuma North MP commends EC

Mr. Justice Joe Appiah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma North, has commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for its performance in the just ended nationwide biometric registration exercises.

He however said the EC has a lot to do to ensure free, fair and violent-free elections in the December polls.

Mr Joe Appiah said given the fact that it was the first time such an exercise was undertaken in the country, the EC did fairly well.

He expressed worry about the frequent breakdown of equipment and machines like cameras, scanners, printers and computers, which brought chaos and confusion in certain registration centres across the country.

The MP made the observations in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, on his assessment on the biometric registration exercise and his chances in the forth- coming elections.

He was not particularly happy about the alleged statement made by Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, Chairman of the EC, that some of the machines could break down on election day, saying Ghanaians deserved better than that.

The MP said what Dr Afari Gyan should have told the nation was that given the challenges faced during the exercise, the EC was going to do its best to ensure that quality equipment and machines would be procured to minimize if not eliminate, the breakdown of equipment on election day, instead of the unfortunate pronouncement, which had the tendency to create speculation and suspicions.

He said the EC had been given the task to conduct free, fair and violent free elections and if they needed additional funds to do that, it was up to the Commission to approach the government.

The December presidential and parliamentary elections, he asserted, was very crucial to the nation’s democratic credentials and nothing should be left to chance to undermine it.

On his chances in the elections, Mr Joe Appiah, who is seeking a second term in office, said he was very confident of emerging victorious given the fact that even as an opposition MP he had done a lot for his people.

He cited a number of bridges and storm-drains he had constructed to alleviate the plight of his constituents, majority of whom live in flood-prone areas.

He gave assurance that when given the chance again, he would put into fruition his plans to put up modern Information and Community Technology (ICT) centres at Odorkor and five others at the Kwashieman cluster of schools.

Since there is no government health facility in his constituency, the MP said he had lobbied through parliament for a polyclinic to be constructed at Darkuman to take care of the health needs of his people.**