Don’t do ‘family and friends’ with EC vacancy - President advised

President Akufo-Addo is being advised by a governance expert to advertise EC chairmanship position to make it competitive.

Lawyer and governance expert, Dr Eric Oduro Osae also suggested a constitutional amendment to make it possible for the Public Services Commission to get involved in the selection of persons for the position of the Electoral Commission going forward to ensure more sanity into the appointment processes.

Many Ghanaians, including some members of the NPP, have in the past expressed worry about how the president has developed a penchant for appointing his close relatives to positions of influence in government or state parastatals.

Speaking on Joy FM’s News File programme monitored by MyNewsGh.com, Dr Osae wants the President Akufo-Addo to act fast, think fast and overhaul the system

“I will also advise that though it’s an opportunity for the president to [re]appoint, I will advise that he should look beyond politics; he should look at competence and he should look at people who will be able to stand the test of time; people who will be able to prevent some of these infractions from happening,” he said.



“We are at a point where he [President Akufo-Addo] has to act fast, think fast and overhaul the system. This requires that they should open it up. I’ll always say that the appointment procedures should be competitive and they should open it up”, Dr Eric Oduro Osae observed

“The previous instances where we have had presidents nominating people and having people vetted by parliament, we should move beyond that. If we can have a way of advertising, of making it competitive; though it’s not spelt out in the constitution and the electoral commissions act, it will help us,” he suggested.



President Akufo-Addo last Thursday dismissed the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Charlotte Osei and her two deputies, Mr Amadu Sulley and Mrs Georgina Opoku Amankwah, from office following a recommendation by a committee set up by the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, to investigate alleged acts of corruption against the three by Ghanaian citizens.