Letter to the President: Ghana should honour Kwesi Nyame Tease-Eshun

Mr. President,

Ghana should honour Mr Kwesi Nyame Tease-Eshun

In a nation of many dishonest people who have become economic entities for their own personal aggrandizement, it is imperative that we unearth and recognize commendable behaviors of exceptional characteristics to create a platform for excellence and patriotic- oriented actions in our society. God intervened in our elections to save this nation from destruction because that was the only period many Ghanaians prayed for His intercession. Besides, one person who saved mother Ghana from potential bloodshed and civil war was Mr Kwasi Nyame Atease-Eshun , the former Research Director of the Parliament who took the Electoral Commission ( EC) to the Supreme Court to supply party representatives with copies of Collation sheets for the Presidential Elections making it tough for anybody to manipulate the results.

Ghana has made history again in our democratic process by the way we conducted our elections in the most civilized manner, uncharacteristic of many African countries on the continent. This feat was made possible through many factors – the civil societies, the media, party leaders, the clergy, some EC personnel, the service personnel and the people among others. However, if there is any living person that deserves the nation’s recommendation for his exemplary efforts in deepening our electoral process and advancing our democracy, it would Mr. Kwesi Nyame -Tease Eshun, the former Research Director of Parliament. He took the EC to the Supreme Court at his own expense to resolve the most dangerous fundamental error in our electoral process which could have given room for the Returning Officers to compromise their positions to circumvent our election results as exemplified in the 2012 elections.

The CI 94 is consumed with mischief because how could the framers mandate the EC to supply party representatives with ONLY PARLIMENTARY ELECTION COLLATION SHEETS without any emphasis or similar instruction on the PRESIDENTIAL COLLATION SHEET? Why did they forget to give similar orders for the presidential results, the most important? This legislation is in bad taste because the Instrument as presented (CI 94) protected the parliamentarians while it allowed Returning Officers and the EC to manipulate the Presidential Election results to suit their whims and caprices since there was no means of critically challenging their official figures. This explains the use of Nadmo Officers, cronies of the former ruling government as Returning Officers in the 2012 elections instead of School Teachers.

It must be noted in passing that this singular achievement by Mr. Atease Eshun enabled any Ghanaian or group of people to easily compute and collate their own election results as a check to the final tally by the EC. In other words, the directive of the Supreme Court to the EC to supply all party functionaries with the Presidential Collation Sheet disarmed the EC of her cantankerous machinations. As to be expected the EC could not in the circumstance do anything contrary to subvert the result and Nana’s victory. Ghanaians in their wisdom voted massively and had the results collated fully a day after the elections and any intervention by any group, be it the Israeli group STL could not have been able to circumvent the will of the masses granting that all the respective party leadership had the results collated easily per the PINK SHEETS. STL is perceived to be capable of manipulating the transmitted figures but the parties had the hard copy to check and dispute the relayed figures if any.

Hurry mother Ghana!!!!! The days of massaging Presidential Elections figures are over in our electoral process and thanks to Mr Atease Eshun for his initiative and drive through the Supreme Court. Besides, with the proposed National identification program envisaged to streamline and eliminate encroachment to our electoral process, it will add impetus to the genuineness of our electoral process. It is time we honored our protégées, people who have sacrificed their time, resources and security to defend the nation. A case in point is the Police Commander of Zongo Police Station, Supt Rev Dr Andane who through a 10 months surveillance intercepted the largest ammunition and guns consignment in the nation’s history and what did he get in return for the risk, monies to informants and time? Nothing. What is the opportunity cost as a Ghanaian Police Officer for not accepting a huge bribe to allow the ammunition and guns to pass through?

Mr President, the governance system we have chosen is very delicate especially in an environment where the educational level of the masses is low. In retrospect, there would not have been another lovely nation call Ghana if the EC had attempted to change the election results which explains why Mr Atease –Eshun Nyame should be rewarded for his valuable input and services to the nation. Besides, any nation that does not reward her heroes is not worth dying for and Ghana certainly should not one of them under your leadership and direction. If notable people like Mr Nyame had not stood up for Mother Ghana, Madam Charlotte and her crew would have plunged it into Holocaust.

Mr. President, as part of the national reconstruction development, let us start a change process to make the ordinary Ghanaian feel committed and patriotic enough to be participant in the rebuilding exercise. Long live Mother Ghana, the beacon of hope for Black Africa.

By: Eric Kwabena Edusei, VA USA