NDC ‘Boys’ Descend On Peace Council Over EC; Calls for Abolition
The National Peace Council, has come under heavy attacks from some leading members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), following the former’s advice to political parties, to have confidence in the Electoral Commission (EC).
They believe, the Peace Council, is not fit for purpose and therefore, should be abolished to avoid wasting of resources and taxpayer’s money on it.
“Another reason Ghanaians must abolish the Peace Council! Same must apply to the Council of State. The Peace Council doesn’t care about stolen components of Biometric Voter Registration kits from the hqtes of the EC under CCTV surveillance? Outright waste of taxpayer’s money,” the party’s Director of Elections, Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah stated.
This, follows a recent interview by the Executive Secretary of the Council, George Amoh, that the EC, has one of the best elaborate processes to resolve any challenges associated with voters’ registration and the conduct of elections which must be used to address the concerns of any stakeholder.
“We must be careful the way and manner we portray the EC in our efforts to ensure transparency, fairness and credibility in its processes. Let us be careful not to push the EC into a situation where Ghanaians do not trust whatever the EC does,”
But his comment, appears not to have gone down well with the NDC, particularly its director of elections and medical practitioner, Dr Omane Boamah and Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Nartey Gorge.
They argued that the Council, established by Act of Parliament called National Peace Council Act, 201, was not fit for purpose, as it is a waste of time and resources.
In the view of Dr Omane Boamah, the Act serves no purpose and recommended it abolishment. Recall that the NDC a while back, disclosed the missing of some three Biometric Voter Registration kits and has petitioned parliament for investigation.
According to Dr Omane Boamah, the National Peace Council, does not care and has shown no interest in the matter of the missing equipment.
Bunch Of Sycophants
On his part, MP for Ningo Prampram, reiterated his position that the Council was the most useless institution in the country.
Comparing the Council, Mr George, said the uselessness of it, surpasses that of the presidency.
In a post on ‘X’ formerly Twitter, the MP branded members of the Council as sycophants who have sold their conscience for cheap broth.
“I have always maintained and repeat that the Peace Council is the most useless institution in Ghana today. Even more useless than the Presidency. A bunch of sycophants who have sold their conscience for cheap broth. Such a waste of our time”, the MP said.
The NDC over the years has not shy away from critizing the National Peace Council. It has blamed it for acting slow or not acting at all in cases that border on its mandate.
In 2020, the Council had planned a meeting with the party at its headquarters at Adabraka in Accra.
When the members arrived at the office for discussion, reports say they were chased out by some party fanatics. According to the Council, they were attacked by a mob at the party’s headquarters, causing vehicle damage.
Following that, another meeting was arranged for the party to meet the Council at the private office of the former President.
But four years on since the incident, the Peace Council is now issuing a statement in a bid to clarify what transpired, after NDC Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah publicly spoke on the issue.
It said on December 9, 2020, the NPC met with the NDC leadership at former President Mahama’s office, and while the meeting was going on smoothly, another mob invaded and disrupted the proceedings.
“After some intervention by the leadership of the NDC, the mob left the room and continued with gun shots within the compound of the office of H.E. the former President. One of the vehicles conveying members of the NPC was also damaged on leaving the former President’s office,” the statement, signed by Rev. Dr Ernest Adu Gyamfi, Chairman of NPC, said.
Mr Asiedu Nketia in the recent presser, attacked the integrity of members of the NPC at a meeting with some members of the party.
He asserted that, the NPC’s promises to call a meeting with stakeholders to discuss the escalating tension at the time were the reason NDC agents left the EC’s “strong room,” indicating that it was not done out of their own free will.
“…So the Peace Council agreed to organise a meeting between the NDC, NPP, international delegations, and the Electoral Commission. We don’t want anything; we just wanted to check the pink sheets. So if we put the pink sheets together and they have won, we will agree,” the NDC Chairman said.
“Immediately we got this understanding and we were preparing, the NPP met Jean Mensa, and they pressured her to go and do the collation and announce. So our people did not leave there on their own. It was part of an arrangement with the National Peace Council that let us down,” he intimated.
Other leading members, including the current National Women’s Organizer, Hanna Louisa Bissiw, in the past have not spared the Council for one thing or the another.
Source: Anchorghana.com
