Read Council of State's reply to NDC on appointment of Dr Appiahene, Ahmed Tijani as EC deputy commissioners

The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah in an interview on Radio Gold on Thursday, August 3, 2023, disclosed supposed details of a response given to his party by the Council of State after they petitioned the council about President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's appointment of Dr Peter Appiahene to the EC.

According to Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, following the furore created by the appointment of Dr Appiahene a known member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) as one of the deputy commissioners of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), the NDC petitioned the Council of State to intervene.

But to their surprise, the council wrote back and told them that there is nothing wrong with Dr Appiahene’s appointment because it only considers qualifications and not political affiliation in advising Akufo-Addo on who he should hire.

GhanaWeb has now sighted the said letter, which was signed by the Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II.

In the said letter, the council did, in fact, state that it considers the qualification of potential appointees of the president but it said nothing about political affiliations.

The council also said that because President Akufo-Addo had already sworn in the two EC appointees the NDC petitioned them about, Dr Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, there was nothing they could do.

"The process of advising the President is that the President submits names of the intended persons accompanied by their particulars with a write-up or what is called Curriculum Vitae (CV). The Council of State studies the said CVs to ascertain the suitability or otherwise of the said individuals. When the Council is satisfied that the named individuals have the requisite qualifications it proceeds to approve the nomination. If the Council is not satisfied with the qualifications, it declines to make a recommendation.

“As you rightly stated in paragraph & of the third page of your letter, the President having sworn into Office the two individuals, "the Council of State has become functus officio in the process of their appointments". It is therefore not possible to review the recommendations already made by the Council to the President,” parts of the letter reads.

Read the full letter by the Council of State in response to the NDC’s petition below:

P. O. Box 46,

State House

Accra.

Date: 28/04/2023

THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

NATIONAL SECRETARIAT

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSS

P.O. BOX AN 5825

ACCRA-NORTH

Dear National Chairman,

RE: APPOINTMENT OF DR. PETER APPIAHENE AND HAJIA SALIMA AHMED THIANI AS MEMBERS OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION BY THE PRESIDENT UNDER ARTICLE 70 (2) OF THE 1992 CONSTITUTION

The Council of State acknowledges your communication dated 17th April 2023 relating to the Appointment of some members of the Electoral Commission.

As you rightly stated, the role of the Council of State in relation to appointments under Article 70(2) of the 1992 constitution is to advise the President

The process of advising the President is that the President submits names of the intended persons accompanied by their particulars with a write up or what is called Curriculum Vitae (CV). The Council of State studies the said CVs to ascertain the suitability or otherwise of the said individuals. When the Council is satisfied that the named individuals have the requisite qualifications it proceeds to approve the nomination. If the Council is not satisfied with the qualifications, it declines to make a recommendation.

As you rightly stated in paragraph & of the third page of your letter, the President having sworn into Office the two individuals, "the Council of State has become functus officio in the process of their appointments". It is therefore not possible to review the recommendations already made by the Council to the President.

Please accept the assurances of the Council's highest esteem with weer ve regards,

NANA OTUO SIRIBOE II

CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL OF STATE

BAI/KPE

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