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Politics of Monday, 23 March 2015

Source: Patrick Biddah

Fallout from Flagstaff House disputed election

The Ghanaian Times photographer accredited to the Flagstaff House, Mr Vincent Dzatse last Friday went on rampage, threatening to slap this reporter at the visitor’s car park of the Flagstaff House after a Presidential assignment.

His threat, which was accompanied by loud shouts of "I have mean you paaa,’’ occurred in the presence of other Presidential affairs correspondents.

Unfortunately, the threat to slap brought to memory that sad day when this same Times’ photographer was manhandled by soldiers at Ghana’s independence celebration three years ago.

His action was a follow-up to an initial threat in the compound of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development equipments yard at the Tema Freezones enclave where President John Dramani Mahama had gone to commission equipments for the improvement of feeder roads in rural areas.

This reporter, who was stunned by the radical behaviour of the Ghanaian Times reporter, kept his cool and restrained himself until he finally got to understand what Mr Dzatse’s reaction was about.

As it turned out, Mr Dzatse was seriously bruised by a text message which was in reply to a text message he circulated to some members of the Corps in his capacity as a self-styled electoral commissioner to hold the Flagstaff House Press corps election last Thursday, despite appeals for postponement .

The text message in question which infuriated Mr Dzatse as sent by this reporter read: "Please yourselves. Desperados", and was in reply to a late night text message by Mr Dzatse- the self-styled electoral commissioner- who was insisting on holding the elections, ignoring all calls to postpone it because of anomalies .

If not for nothing at all ,the Supreme Court ruling to cancel the holding of the district level elections on March 3 with respect to the CI 85 maturity ignored by the Electoral Commissioner, Dr Afari Gyan could have been a clever lesson well learnt .

Aware of major loopholes and loose ends in the proposed organisation of the elections, this reporter, together with seasoned broadcast Journalist, Napoleon Ato Kittoe of Ghana Television, Kwame Asare Boadu of the Daily Graphic, Samuel Nuamah of the Ghanaian Times, Samuel Ablordeppey of Radio Gold, Richard Mensah of Citi Fm and many other presidential affairs correspondents were opposed to the proposed date to hold the elections, calling for a postponement with the view of holding a credible and dispute free exercise, but all fell on hard ears.

For example, many, till date, cannot confidently tell how Mr Dzatse became the electoral commissioner, which meeting unanimously appointed him and his two deputies before circulating a message last week Monday, March 16, announcing that nominations were opened from that Monday and by Wednesday 5pm the nomination were closed, giving way to the elections the next day which was on Thursday, last week.

Aside the dark clouds surrounding how the electoral commissioner was appointed on the blind side of many, Mr Ramsey Benamba, the Ghana News Agency correspondent who was elected dean two years ago, did not receive any message from the supposed electoral commissioners when he was still the dean .

The deliberate move not to inform the Mr Benamba fuelled suspicions that there was a grand scheme to grab the executive positions of the press corps at all cost for a particular agenda.

In all of this, the Communications Bureau at the Flagstaff House which regulates coverage of the President at the flagstaff was not informed about the elections although the media briefing room became a fine polling station.

In the end, Nutor Bibini Nutor from Ghana Television (Gtv) emerged dean, with the vice dean position going to Seth Eyiah, who correspondents for GBC radio. The secretary position was taken by Edward Kwabi, a Tv3 correspondent.

Two positions went unopposed .These were for the Treasurer position which was maintained by Pascaline Adadevoh of GBC radio whiles William Sarpong of the Daily Democrat also went unopposed as the Organiser.