Jean Mensa competent, neutral for EC job – Gyampo

Political Scientist Professor Ransford Gyampo has hailed the nomination of Jean Mensa as chairperson of the Electoral Commission by President Akufo-Addo.

In his view, the Executive Director of policy think tank, Institute of Economic Affairs, is competent and politically neutral for the job, despite the claim of bias against her by the opposition NDC.

In an interview with Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Tuesday, Professor Gyampo, who has a longstanding working relationship with Mrs. Mensa, said the public policy official only needs competent lieutenants to succeed at the job.

“On the substantive issue of the appointment of Jean Mensa as EC boss, I think it’s a good choice. I have worked with her at the IEA for 14 years. She mentored and trained me. Under her, I rose from a Teaching Assistant to Lecturer to Senior Lecturer to Associate Professor of Political Science.

“She is hardworking and has what it takes to provide the leadership that may turn things around at the EC. She only need the right caliber of people around her as her aides and I can bet that she will work to fine tune our electoral process to be able to deliver results acceptable to all.

“Her neutrality isn’t in doubt in my view. At one point in time, the NPP accused her of being in bed with the NDC because they alleged she leaked questions to John Mahama in the 2012 Presidential Debate,” he told Francis Abban.

Professor Gyampo also defended the nomination of fellow lecturer at the University of Ghana Dr. Eric Bossman Asare as a deputy chair of the commission, describing him as a hardworking man who is capable of discharging the responsibilities at the electoral commission.

“I think we must once again hail the President for honoring young people. Bossman is my boss at the Political Science Department. He was my mate in Legon and although I started teaching before he joined the faculty, he rose to head our department by dint of hard-work. Successfully managing a department that comprises both old, very Senior and young independent minded faculty, and where the real game of politIcs is taught, is an achievement that doesn’t come cheap. He is most qualified for the job in my view”.