It is absolute nonsense for critics to say that the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) uses the presidential debates it organises every four years to rake in money for itself, Executive Director Mrs Jean Mensa has said.

Responding to those critics in an interview on Accra100.5FM’s breakfast show Ghana Yensom on Wednesday June 22, Mrs Mensa told host Chief Jerry Forson that such claims were “complete nonsense to say the least”.

“How about the other platforms who also want to organise presidential debates? Where are they going to get the resources from? This whole country is financed by foreign partners. Where are they going to get the resources from? It’s complete nonsense. It has nothing whatsoever to do with financing. There are many activities of the IEA; this is once in every four years and I mean that’s what one should ask. I mean it’s complete nonsense,” Mrs Mensa emphasised.

“The IEA has lots of activities going on: extensive research and advocacy and several initiatives going on. A programme that is once every four years has no bearing on the finances of the institution and, so, those arguments are completely lame.”

She said the IEA’s sustenance had nothing to do with its organisation of presidential debates during general elections, adding that the institute had so many activities it undertakes apart from organising election debates. “This is something we have been promoting for many years. The whole mandate of the IEA is to provide research and advocacy, to inform good policy-making in Ghana, to provide a forum for debate and discussion, so, in and out of elections, this is what the IEA has been doing: providing an independent and credible platform for the discussion of key policy issues in this country, basically to promote development and economic freedom, so, this is complete nonsense, I’m sorry to say,” she stated.

“It is as though this is all we do: we wait every four years and this is all we do and this is what sustains the organisation; I think it’s complete nonsense.”