Posted
on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By
William Yaw Owusu
Monday,
August 14, 2017
Details are emerging that the Chairperson of the
Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, demanded GH¢1 million to renovate a
bungalow before she could occupy it as her official residence.
Sources say the building, located behind the El Wak
Stadium, closer to the Cantonments Post Office and the Lands Commission in
Accra, does not appear to be dilapidated but the current EC boss allegedly
wants the taxpayer to spend a whopping GH¢1 million for its renovation alone.
The architectural designs are showing that the
building, which was used by former EC Chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, might
have to be pulled down and reconstructed to meet the taste of the new
chairperson.
The unnamed staff of the commission who want Ms.
Osei impeached, have claimed that the chairperson brought a bill of over GH¢1
million as the cost for the renovation.
“The chairperson has submitted an estimate of over
GH¢1 million for the renovation of the official bungalow without recourse to
the commission or appropriate staff in the commission,” they said in the
petition to President Akufo-Addo, which has since been forwarded to the Chief
Justice (CJ) for the necessary action.
Currently, Mrs. Osei is said to be occupying the
bungalow reserved for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) –
where she previously worked as head – and does not appear to be moving out
anytime soon, if the renovation at the EC facility is not done.
Already, the Deputy Chairperson in-charge of
Corporate Service, Georgina Opoku-Amankwaa, whom Ms. Osei has accused together
with Amadu Sulley – the Deputy in-charge of Operations – of sabotage, has
claimed in her defence that her boss said the building was not fit for her
status.
“She chose to live in the accommodation provided by
the NCCE claiming that the official residence her predecessor used is not fit
for her status,” Ms Opoku-Amankwaa said in her response.
“It was recently that she requested for a total
refurbishment of the official bungalow. I was later informed by my director of
finance that she submitted a bill and architectural drawings which indicated
demolition and rebuilding the entire structure,” the Deputy Chairperson added.
Rebuttal
The EC chairperson has always maintained that she
was never given an office to operate from as the head of the commission, but
her claim has been rebutted by Mrs Opoku-Amankwaa.
“The claim by the chairperson that she was never
given an office is false. An allegation like this gives the impression that the
commission was created after the chairperson was appointed. Since 1992, the
commission had been chaired by Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan for over two decades,” the
deputy said.
“Mrs. Charlotte Osei was appointed after a
successful retirement of the then chairman. Upon assumption of office, she was
given the office of her predecessor. This office is situated in the same
premises of the two deputies. Strangely, she refused to take up the office,
claiming that she had a security audit conducted by a security detail from the
Office of the President and indicated that the office was not fit and safe for
her occupation,” the Deputy Commissioner averred.
Human Resource Directorate
She continued, “Rather, she disorganized the whole
Human Resource Directorate by choosing the directorate’s office as a place of
her preference. Since this office is just next to her former office as NCCE
chair, she found it convenient for use. She accordingly instructed the then
Director of Human Resource who was occupying that office, to vacate the office
for her use.”
She claimed that the chairperson, after taking over
the HR Department, allegedly “contracted her own artisans to do a complete
makeover fitting with shower cubicle fittings and furniture in the office. A
bill covering the works done was submitted for reimbursement but was
subsequently withdrawn after it was vehemently opposed for non-compliance of
the procurement process.”
She continued, “I wish to state emphatically and
unequivocally that I was not privy to any of these arrangements, although this
lies within my realm of responsibility. She (chairperson) preferred to deal
with the directors.”
Chairperson’s Response
Mrs. Osei has parried the allegations and said in
her preliminary statement that “The estimate for renovation of a house
indicates the level of work required to be done in the house.
“It is not a contract and there is no breach of the
law occasioned by submitting an estimate. It is in fact, the Deputy Chair,
Operations (Amadu Sulley), that is in breach of the process reflected in his
actions in 2015 when without recourse to the chairperson, the Deputy Chair
(Operations) verbally authorized a director to undertake repairs to the
chairman’s official residence for the use of the said director.
“Upon submission of the estimate of works done, it
would have been expected that the Deputy Chair CS, (Mrs. Opoku-Amankwaa), who
oversees administration, would have started a proper procurement process for
the renovation of the chairperson’s residence,” she explained. She added, “To
date, no work has been initiated and the chairperson is still unable to move
into the official residence, two years after appointment.
“In the same vein, the chairperson was never
provided with an office three months after joining the commission. She had to
initiate the moves herself to get suitable office premises and furnish it
personally.
Probe
Last week, the Chief Justice reportedly wrote
officially to the embattled EC chairperson to respond to the allegations that
could lead to her impeachment.
DAILY GUIDE learnt that the letter from the Office
of the Chief Justice was delivered on Friday, August 4, and the two other
commissioners – Amadu Sulley and
Georgina Opoku-Amankwa – have equally been written to, to react to the
petitions against them, seeking their removal from office as well.
Legal Impediment
However, before the formal preliminary investigation
commences, a private citizen, Ayamga Yakubu Akoglo, has filed a writ at the
Supreme Court, seeking to prevent the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, from going
ahead to investigate the EC boss.
The plaintiff wants the suit, which also cites the
Attorney General, to declare the action being initiated against the EC boss by
the Judicial Council as unconstitutional, void and of no effect.
He is claiming that the issues raised in the
petition against Mrs Charlotte Osei had nothing to do with her core functions
as prescribed under Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution and as a result, did
not warrant her removal per Article 46 (1) of the Constitution, describing the
petition as ‘defective.’
Legal experts say that if a prima facie case is
established against any of the commissioners during the preliminary
investigation, the Chief Justice, per the rules, will then set up a committee
to fully investigate the issues and a report submitted to the president.
A litany of allegations have been leveled against
Mrs. Osei, including spending GH¢3.9 million to partition an office, receipt of
a Toyota Land Cruiser from the previous government, spending about $14 million
when the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) had authorized her to use only $7.5
million, as well as attending Cabinet meetings under President John Mahama’s
administration, among other things.
The said $14 million contract was allegedly awarded
to her crony without the PPA’s approval.
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