I’ve never been member of any party – NCCE boss

Following weeks of allegation that he is an activist of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Deputy Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Operations, Samuel Asare Akuamoah, has noted that he has wrongly been represented by those making the allegation.

According to him, he has never been a member of any political party, saying that it’s unfortunate that someone or group of persons would deliberately link him to any political grouping so as to put his neutrality and the professionalism exhibited in the discharge of his duties on line.

“I have never ever been any party’s member; sorry, I have never ever in my life been a member of any political party.… people think maybe I’m going to be the substantive chairman of the NCCE, but I don’t have any ambition for that. How I came to be deputy chairman of the Commission, it’s only God who knows. As you can see me, I am a humble person; I don’t walk in the corridors of power. I am so passionate about my work,” Mr. Akuamoah told DAILY GUIDE at Bawku in the Upper East Region.

He was reacting to a call by pro-opposition pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), on the Electoral Commission to withdraw Mr Akuamoah from the National Election Steering Committee, which is expected to oversee the November 7 elections.

AFAG, while making the allegation, said the NCCE deputy chairman is a known NDC activist and should not be made to serve on the Electoral Committee.

According to Mr. Akuamoah, his nomination to serve on the Steering Committee was in response to a request by the Electoral Commission to get someone from the NCCE to serve on it.

Asked if he thinks the Steering Committee is good for the country as far as the upcoming elections are concerned, Mr Akuamoah was of the view that it would serve a good purpose, considering the difficulties that other institutions and stakeholders had while working with the Electoral Commission in previous elections.

“I do not intend to be a spokesperson for the Electoral Commission,… I believe that Mrs Osei, with her background, her experience at NCCE and the kind of frustration NCCE had to go through in planning our programmes, is trying to unmake that web that we went through so that there will be better participation and high transparency in what the EC does,” she observed.

Mr. Akuamoah was not happy with the current situation in the country where people who speak their minds on development issues in the country are quickly tagged as NDC or NPP activists.

“This trend is bad; many people who have ideas and opinions about issues in this country are afraid to speak because they do not want to be tagged and insulted in the media,” he added.