'EC has started payment of 2020 electoral officials' - Eric Bossman

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has issued cheques for the payment of over 44,000 temporary Registration Officials whose services were employed by the Commission in this year's voters registrations.

This was made known by the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Eric Asare, following the demand for payment by personnel several weeks after the end of the registration exercise.

"I want to note that we have issued cheques for payment of persons who were recruited for this year’s Voter Registration exercise. They will receive they monies by Monday,” said Dr Bossman in an interview on UTV’s ‘Mpu ne Mpu’.

In an earlier publication by GhanaWeb, some personnel who partook in the exercise that lasted from June 30 to August 6, 2020, accused the EC of “woefully inadequate” payment weeks into the commencement of the compilation of a new voters’ register.

For years, registration officials who have worked for the Commission have lamented about the late payment of their allowances which comes in months after every exercise.

But addressing the increasing concerns on the delays, Dr Eric Bossman revealed that monies will soon hit the accounts of these persons as they have issued a cheque for payment.

“We engaged over 44,000 persons, we commenced payments on Friday, some of them have issues with their bank account details. All those who haven’t been paid from last year had an issue with their bank details. These issues delay the payments but we are working on them," he noted.

The EC on July 22, released the approved rate of payment of its temporal registration official in a memorandum issued by the Deputy Chairman of the EC.

All Registration Supervisors were going to be paid per month ¢2,600 for 3 months, Deputy Registration Supervisors (per month) for three (3) months – ¢2,400, Top Trainers (per month) for two (2) months – ¢2,000, Key Trainers (per month) for two (2) months – ¢2,000, Registration Officer (per day) – ¢90, Registration Officer (Special duties) per day – ¢90.00, Data Entry Clerks (per day) – 90.00, Laminators (per day) – ¢75.00, Health Professionals (per day) – ¢70.00.

Dr. Bossman also indicated that EC has also settled all arrears owned officials from the year 2019.

“We have made payment for 2019, I want to state that all those who haven’t received they monies till date have issues with their bank account details. We are rectifying all those challenges, we have contacted the District offices.”