Brief Overview of the Electoral Commission of Ghana:<\/p>\n
One of the governing bodies established by the 1992 constitution is the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission Act (Act 451) of 1993 created the Commission. It was established specifically to oversee all public elections and referendums and to deal with any issues immediately pertaining to the nation’s election administration. A chairman, two deputy chairmen, and four other members make up its seven members.<\/p>\n
Up until 1966, the First Republic’s Minister for Local Government was in charge of holding elections. A commission for electoral changes was established after Kwame Nkrumah’s CPP government was overthrown in a coup on February 24, 1966. The Interim Electoral Commission appointed V. C. R. A. C. Crabbe as its Interim Electoral Commissioner in 1968. The 1969 Ghanaian parliamentary election was supervised by the Interim Commission. The Commission was established permanently in 1971, and G. A. K.<\/p>\n
The Commission’s Secretary, Bonsu, was appointed as the official Electoral Commissioner.<\/p>\n
Isaac Abban was named Interim Electoral Commissioner by the National Redemption Council military government, which was headed by General Acheampong, to oversee the 1978 Ghanaian governmental referendum on Union Government. After opposing the manipulation of the results, Abban fled into hiding following the March 30, 1978, referendum out of concern for his safety. He was replaced by another judge, Joseph Kingsley-Nyinah, following the palace coup on July 5, 1978.<\/p>\n
He oversaw the general election that brought about the Third Republic in Ghana in 1979. The coup of December 31, 1981, which suspended the Electoral Commission and other institutions, marked the end of this era.<\/p>\n
With a new administration being formed, after the 2024 general elections, it is expected that new changes occur across various sectors and institutions of the country. So the question is: Who deserves to be appointed as the Electoral Commission of Ghana under John Dramani Mahama’s New Administration? <\/p>\n
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Here is the list of my proposed personalities. Let’s go thoroughly go through together.<\/p>\n
1. Georgina Opoku Amankwah<\/p>\n
Georgina Opoku Amankwah<\/span> was a Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana. She served as the first Chairperson of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana prior to her appointment in 2015. On the orders of Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, she was removed from office on June 28, 2018.<\/p>\n After earning a “O” at T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School in Kumasi, Amankwaah proceeded to Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School in the Ashanti Region to earn a “A.” After graduating with a diploma in estate management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, she went on to earn a degree in social sciences there.<\/p>\n Amankwaah pursued her education at the Ghana School of Law after earning a Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the University of Ghana.<\/p>\n A committee appointed by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo to look into accusations of corruption against Amankwaah recommended her dismissal for misconduct and incompetence, and she was dismissed from office. In line with the Ghanaian constitution’s provisions and suggestion, President Nana Akuffo-Addo ordered her removal on June 28, 2018.<\/p>\n 2. Charlotte Osei<\/p>\n Early years and schooling:<\/p>\n Nigeria is where Charlotte Osei was born. Her father is also of mixed West African nationality, although he has a Ghanaian parent, while her mother, who is of mixed West African nationality, is not.<\/p>\n At Cape Coast’s Ghana National College, Charlotte Osei completed her secondary schooling. She continued on to the Ghana School of Law, where she earned her LLB in 1992, and the University of Ghana, where she earned her bar call in 1994.[12] She also has a Master of Laws (LLM) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and a Master of Business Leadership (MBL) from the University of South Africa in Pretoria (2006).<\/p>\n The UN International Elections Commissioner is Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei, a Ghanaian attorney who served as the chair of the Ghanaian Electoral Commission from 2015 until her dismissal in June 2018 due to financial misconduct. In two different writs, the Supreme Court of Ghana has questioned her removal. She was the first woman to hold the position of Ghana’s Electoral Commission since the nation’s independence. In the past, she served as the National Commission for Civic Education’s chair. She joined a group of international experts designated by the UN in May 2019 to help oversee the country’s 2019 presidential elections.<\/p>\n Career:<\/p>\n From 1994 to 1995, Charlotte Osei worked as a teaching assistant at the University of Ghana, Legon’s Faculty of Law. From 1994 to 1997, she practiced law at Laryea Company in Accra. From 1997 to 2002, she was the Senior Legal Officer of the Ghana Commercial Bank. From 1997 to 2003, she also taught part-time commercial law at the institution.<\/p>\n Osei served as general counsel for Unibank Ghana from 2002 to 2005. From 2005 to 2011, he founded Prime Attorneys, a firm of business lawyers, and served as its main counsel. From 2011 until 2015, she presided over the National Commission for Civic Education.<\/p>\n She served as the Returning Officer for Ghana’s 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections after being named chair of the country’s Electoral Commission in 2015. She was the first woman to hold the position of chair of Ghana’s Electoral Commission. In May 2019, Ashraf Ghani, the president of Afghanistan, issued a presidential decree confirming Charlotte Osei’s appointment by the UN as an International Non Voting Electoral Commissioner to Afghanistan. In her capacity as a non-voting electoral commissioner, she advised the Commission on the creation and drafting of all election-related rules and guidelines and assisted in the impartial, independent, and lawful resolution of complaints to guarantee electoral justice during the whole election cycle.<\/p>\n After a committee appointed by Chief Justice Justice Sophia Akuffo to look into complaints and corruption claims made against her, Osei was dismissed on June 28, 2018. The committee was established in accordance with Article 146(4) of the Ghanaian constitution, and its recommendations mandated Osei’s removal for misconduct in accordance with Article 146(1) of the constitution. According to the suggestions and clauses of Article 156(9) of the Ghanaian constitution, President Nana Akufo-Addo ordered her to leave office right away.<\/p>\n According to a report by the committee that looked into her, the immediate past chair of the Electoral Commission awarded many contracts before the 2016 Ghana elections, in violation of procurement laws. Osei said she would address the charges against her at a later time. The unexpected passing of Ghana’s immediate vice president, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, caused her to postpone her answers.<\/p>\n Fafali Nyonator and Abdul Malik Kweku Baako (a Ghanaian newspaper editor), filed two different writs challenging the grounds for her dismissal at the Supreme Court of Ghana.<\/p>\n Honors and distinctions include the University of Ghana’s First University Examinations, Best Arts Results, and the 1991 Volta Hall Award.<\/p>\n Robert P. Jackson, the American ambassador to Ghana, presented Charlotte Osei with a “Women Of Courage” award.<\/p>\n Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Arlington, VA, USA, PPP Skills & Competency Development (2009)<\/p>\n Ghana Stock Exchange, Accra, Basic & Advanced Securities, Securities Selling & Investment Advice (1997)<\/p>\n 1992 Ghana Bar Association, Excellence, University of Ghana, LLB Final Exams.<\/p>\n Charlotte has two children and is married.<\/p>\n 3. Jean Adukwei Mensa<\/p>\n Early life and education:<\/p>\n Jean was born to Ga parents in Accra on November 12, 1971. Jacob Blukoo-Allotey, her father, was a doctor who received the Order of the Volta in 2008. After completing her elementary school at Ridge Church School, Jean continued her study at St. Mary’s Senior High School in Accra. She earned her degree in 1993 after attending the University of Ghana Law School. In 1995, she received a call to the Ghana Bar Association.<\/p>\n Mensa also served as a Junior Lawyer at BJ Da Rocha Chambers (1998) and Amarkai Amarteifio Chambers (1995\u20131997) before joining the IEA.<\/p>\n The African Network of Entrepreneurs (TANOE) named Mensa one of Ghana’s Top 60 exceptional, motivating, and diligent corporate women leaders in 2017. Among her many honors are the Young Professional Role Model in Governance Award from the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition Initiative (2014) and the Excellent Leadership Award from the EXLA Group (2013).<\/p>\n Ahead of Liberia’s election on October 10, 2023, Jean Mensa was chosen to be a member of the ECOWAS and African Union (AU) Joint Pre-election Fact-finding Mission in July 2023.<\/p>\n The late president John Evans Atta Mills established a nine-member constitutional review committee in 2010 to examine the 1992 constitution, and Jean Mensa served on it. Consultation with Ghanaians regarding the 1992 Constitution’s operation and any necessary amendments was the committee’s responsibility. Unfortunately, despite a successful review exercise, the recommendations made during the exercise were rarely or never implemented.<\/p>\n Jean supervised Ghana’s presidential and vice-presidential debates, the IEA’s Evening Encounter Series, and town hall meetings for candidates running for parliament.<\/p>\n Akufo-Addo, the president of Ghana, administered Jean’s oath of office. A Ghanaian individual named Fafali Nyonatorto attempted to stop the President from naming a new chair of the Electoral Commission, which led to the swearing-in. In order for the court to hear her substantive case, the citizen contested the dismissal of the previous Electoral Commission. According to the President, Charlotte Osei, the previous chairperson of the Electoral Commission, was removed from her position without malice. The president stated that fulfilling the constitutional mission was expected of him.<\/p>\n As the chair of the Ghanaian Electoral Commission, she was recognized as the best head of a government agency in the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies category for the audit periods of 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n Dr. Charles Mensa, a former resident director of the Volta Aluminium Company, is Jean Mensa’s spouse.<\/p>\n Former Ghanaian President John Mahama warned the Jean-chaired Electoral Commission (EC) against creating a fresh voter registration list. He asserted that there is not much time left to create a fresh voter registration list before the general election. He stated that if the nation descends into chaos following the 2020 general elections, Jean Mensah and her group will be held accountable.<\/p>\n To voice their opposition to the compilation, protests were held in three cities across the nation: Tamale, Kumasi, and Accra. The Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission started accepting new registrants in September 2023. This gave everyone who had lost or reached the age of 18 the opportunity to apply for new voter ID cards, which would enable them to lawfully participate in the upcoming elections. A successful 2024 election resulted from the successful registration.<\/p>\n 4. Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan CSG is an academic, political scientist, and election administrator From 1993 to 2015, he served as the Chairman of Ghana’s Electoral Commission.<\/p>\n Childhood and schooling:<\/p>\n On June 18, 1945, Afari-Gyan was born in Anyimon, in Ghana’s Brong Ahafo Region. After completing his A-levels at Adisadel College and Achimota School, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Ghana in 1967. The same university awarded him an MA in African politics in 1969. He also studied in the United States, where he graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1974 with a Ph. D. in political science.<\/p>\n Career:<\/p>\n At the University of Ghana, Afari-Gyan taught political science and served as a professor. He has also given lectures in Nigeria and the United States. He participated in the group of experts that wrote Ghana’s Fourth Republican Constitution.<\/p>\n With the intention of bringing the nation back to civilian governance, the Provisional National Defence Council, which was in power as a military junta, named him deputy head of the Interim National Electoral Commission in 1992. He was in charge of making sure the legislative elections in December 1992 and the presidential election in November 1992 were free and fair.<\/p>\n The Head of State and PNDC chairman, Jerry John Rawlings, ran and won the election.<\/p>\n Afari-Gyan became the first substantive chairman of the newly established Electoral Commission following the Fourth Republican Constitution’s ratification. So far, he has been successful in overseeing every election conducted under this constitution. In 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008, he presided over the successful conduct of the presidential and legislative elections.<\/p>\n Afari-Gyan claimed that the results of the recent election, which were attempted to be announced by unofficial institutions, could not be relied upon.<\/p>\n The opposition National Democratic Congress challenged the 2004 general elections in court. On technical grounds, however, the case was lost. Once more, the 2012 presidential contest between Nana Akufo-Addo and President John Dramani Mahama resulted in an eight-month Supreme Court election petition hearing. In a split ruling that ruled the President was legitimately elected, the opposition leader lost the case 5:4. However, the trial, which was broadcast live on television, revealed numerous serious flaws in Ghana’s voting system, leading to calls for and actions toward extensive electoral reforms prior to the general elections in 2016.<\/p>\n Jurists have harshly criticized the decision.<\/p>\n One Supreme Court Justice, Justice Jones Dotse, expressed the following opinion about Dr. Afari Gyan: “It seems to me that Dr. Afari Gyan focused his oversight duties at the highest level of election administration, neglecting his supervisory role at the lower level, where the majority of the tasks essential to election conduct are carried out. In this case, he even seemed to be unfamiliar with some of the fundamental procedures and guidelines that his so-called temporary employees follow.<\/p>\n Dr. Afari Gyan has, in my opinion, made a very bad impression of himself, and the highly regarded and capable election administrator both domestically and abroad vanished into thin air after the courts closely examined his portfolio.”<\/p>\n He was appointed the Association of African Election Authorities’ Executive Secretary in 1998. Additionally, he served on an expert team that provided Nigeria with election-related advice.<\/p>\n Honors:<\/p>\n On July 1, 2015, President John Mahama bestowed upon him Ghana’s highest honor, the Order of the Star.<\/p>\n In addition, he has written other books and worked in various African nations. He served as the Electoral Commission of Ghana’s “star witness” in an electoral petition that the New Patriotic Party submitted following the general election in 2012.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Brief Overview of the Electoral Commission of Ghana: One of the governing bodies established by the 1992 constitution is the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission Act (Act 451) of 1993 created the Commission. It was established specifically to oversee all public elections and referendums and to deal with any issues immediately pertaining to the nation’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":265723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-265722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/p>\n
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