Go to court if you're unhappy - Afenyo-Markin to Charlotte, deputies

Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah have been urged to test the law in court if they feel aggrieved about their dismissal.

Mrs Osei together with her two deputies were dismissed by President Nana Akufo-Addo last week on grounds of incompetence and procurement breaches at the election management body.

The sack which has drawn widespread condemnation from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) follows months of allegations and counter allegations between the Chairperson and her deputies.

Speaking to Class News about the development, Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Affenyo-Markin said: “In the situation as the chair and her deputies find themselves, they can appeal. The law must be tested and I’ll enjoin them to test the law, a matter like this cannot be a finality in itself once a person’s right comes to play, so, it is them not me, they must look at the situation and then take their decision.”

Meanwhile, Nana Akufo-Addo has defended his decision to sack the trio saying his hands were tied in the impeachment processes.

Speaking on the matter in Mauritania where he attended the AU Summit, Nana Akufo-Addo explained to the Ghanaian community there that: “In the last six months, the committee has been investigating allegations of corruption against Charlotte Osei and her deputies. The committee completed its findings last week and concluded that Charlotte Osei and her two deputies erred. Based on Article 146 (9), the committee recommended that Charlotte Osei and her deputies should be removed from office”, adding that: “I could not oppose the committee’s recommendation because I have no such powers”.

He stressed: “The law requires that I obey the recommendation by the committee, and that necessitated the dismissal of Charlotte Osei and her deputies”, noting that: “This is our constitution”.

“We all need to understand that Charlotte Osei and her deputies were not dismissed out of hatred or malice”, the president said, adding: “Those who brought the petition were employees of the Electoral Commission, so, I plead with Ghanaians to work together to find persons who will be transparent to work as electoral commissioners”.