General News of Wednesday, 26 July 2017
Source: citifmonline.com
2017-07-26
Charlotte Osei, Chairperson, Electoral Commission
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei is scheduled to appear before Parliament later today [Wednesday].
She is expected to account for money collected from journalists as accreditation fees and how that has been spent.
The question that has dragged her to the house stands in the name of the MP for Subin and Deputy Works and Housing Minister, Eugene Boakye Antwi.
The EC, ahead of the 2016 general elections, announced that it would charge journalists who wished to cover the elections GHc 10 each, marking the first time the media was charged for accreditation since Ghana commenced multi-party democratic elections in 1992.
The EC explained that the fees would be paid during collection of accreditation tags.
The move faced some resistance with a group, the International Standard Journalists Association, unsuccessfully challenging the decision in court.
Journalist, Kwame Sefa-Kayi criticised the move as shameful and unfair saying the decision by the country’s electoral body made no sense.
Mrs. Osei’s appearance before the legislature comes amidst the turmoil within the commission which has seen accusations of financial malfeasance, incompetence and others traded between commissioners of the EC.
EC boss debunks allegations levelled against her by unfazed staff by GhanaWeb on Scribd
