One of the leading members of pressure group OccupyGhana, Ace Anan Ankomah, has affirmed that the organization, although highly political, associates are not one-sided when it comes to critiquing governance.
Ace Ankomah mentioned that OccupyGhana is just as political as Citizen Movement Ghana (CMG) but speaking for his group, he said they “refuse to be partisan.”
“…Absolutely we are political. The organization is not partisan and if anybody says that’s what led to it that’s untrue. Citizen Ghana is also political. We are all political organizations. We are dealing with the politics of the nation but speaking for my group we refuse to be partisan,” the legal practitioner said when he took his turn with Ghanaweb’s Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on ’21 minutes with KKB”.
He, however, clarified that individuals who decide to take partisan positions are made to quit their place as executives of the group to avoid conflict of interest and sustain the purpose for which the group was established.
Instead, he disclosed, members who venture into politics become common floor members but are still kept in the group in order to influence them by bringing them back on track when they veer off focus.
Ace said, “As a group individuals are allowed to be. Just that if you take a partisan position, we make you resign from your position so you become a common floor member. So those of our members who went into politics, we still kept them because we want to be able to influence them.”
Referring to Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya West, George Nenyi Andah, Ace Ankomah revealed that the MP, who was once a Director of the institution now attends common floor meetings only.
He added that they often disagree on issues but make sure the group does not make one-sided judgments. The decision of the majority is what is always settled on so as to come out with a position that is not partisan.
“I want to be able to look in the face of George Anda and tell him, brother, you are wrong and have a shouting match with him. People don’t understand it. You should see the way our meetings go. If you get a sneak peek at our platform you’d be amazed. The arguments we have; we often disagree but at the end of the day we make sure that the group is not partisan. So we come out with a position that is not partisan.
Queried on whether such situation does not bring a double stance on issues he said, “We welcome people with different political views. Not everybody there has the same political view. We don’t care. He will have his argument, he will have a say but at the end of the day the decision of the majority will have our way.”
