Professor Stephen Adei, the former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has recommended President-elect John Dramani Mahama against choosing a new Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson.
Prof Adei has stated that the current Chairperson, Jean Mensa, should be allowed to continue her duties despite the change of administration.
“Our electoral process has advanced to the point where no one can overturn the outcome if Akufo-Addo or Mahama are elected president. Charlotte Osei was appointed by Mahama, and she was present, but he still lost,” he explained.
In an interview with Accra-based TV3, he indicated that the country must work to strengthen its institutions, and that removing people along political lines sets dangerous precedents.
“If we can show that you have gone beyond some fundamental issues, it is fair. Corruption is easier to show than incompetence, so if she [Jean] has done something wrong and we can prove it, we may remove her, but not because she was appointed by the NPP.
“For Charlotte Osei, if she was removed because she was appointed by Mahama, some of us would have resisted it but the case was corruption and procurement breaches and nobody could have defended her,” he told reporters.
However, he stated that if Mrs Mensa decided to quit on her own, there will be no difficulty with that.
He also urged the future administration to focus on building institutional structures rather than seeking fundamental changes in key leadership posts.
“We must find ways to address lapses without destroying our institutions.” I would not change an Electoral Commissioner because she does not support my position. We’ve gone a long way.
“Hopefully, given what has happened, Jean will decide to resign herself. “We must find ways to improve our institutions rather than destroy them,” he said.
Professor Adei’s remarks come amid calls for Jean Mensa to resign or be removed from office when a new government takes power on January 7, 2025.
