Dr Randy Abbey lists positions held by new EC commissioner, Dr Appiahene, in the NPP

Broadcaster Dr Randy Abbey has bemoaned the constant appointment of politicians to state institutions that are supposed to be independent.

According to him, the current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and other leaders the country has had, have been abusing their discretionary powers for appointment given to them by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

“The point, I am making is that as I sit here, I get worried and I have made that point many, many times.

“And think that the kind of respect that the framers of the constitution gave to leaders in this 4th Republic to use their discretion in doing things in the interest of the state, I am sure that if the framers of the constitution had the opportunity today, they will take back all of that.

“We sit here and we see how the use of discretion has been abused. How positions in the public service have been politicised to the extent that now, we have moved from even the top to even middle-level management, as far as appointments are concerned,” he said on his Good Morning Ghana programme on Friday.

The broadcaster made these remarks while reacting to the appointment of Dr. Peter Appiahene, who is said to be a member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the Electoral Commission.

He went ahead to list all the positions Dr Appiahene has held in the NPP from his supposed CV.

“This is the CV prepared by the man himself (Dr Appiahene), I’m just reading aspects of it. ‘Political position held and service to the NPP’, that is how he titles it.”

1. Member of the 2022 Bono Regional Election Committee
2. Bono Regional IT Director for Election 2020
3. Bono Regional D-day Coordinator for Elections 2020
4. Member of the National Research and Data Analysis Team for Election 2020.
5. Regional Collation Officer representing NPP at the Bono EC office
6. Regional Collation Officer for NPP Internal Collation for Election 2020
7. Member of the Bono Regional Communications Team
8. Member of Let My Vote Count Alliance.
9. Organised training for all Bono Constituency D-Day Coordinators and Parliamentary Candidates, Chairmen and Secretaries for the 2020 Elections.
10. Organised training for all Bono Constituency IT coordinators and Polling Station Executives for Elections 2020.
11. Funding Member of UENR (University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani)TESCON
12. Patron of UENR TESCON
13. TESCON Member of the University of Education, Winneba

Background:

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, March 20, 2023, swore-in three new members of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) at the Jubilee House.

The three new members of the EC, Dr. Peter Appiahene, Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng, are expected to serve in their new roles until the end of the 2024 elections and are replacements for members of the commission who recently retired.

Akufo-Addo has been heavily criticized for the appointment because some of the appointees are said to be known members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The president is being particularly berated for the appointment of Dr. Peter Appiahene, who is said to be a patron of TESCON, the tertiary education branch of the NPP and Salima Ahmed Tijani, whose family relations are leading members of the NPP.

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