Opinions of Wednesday, 28 October 2015

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

How was the 5-Member Public Forum Committee to Determine the Credibility of the Voters Register Formed?

Tongues are wagging with fingers being pointed at some of the members who in the view of the public are too partisan to sit on the panel charged with gathering information from the public on whether or not the current voters register is to be replaced.

It is alleged that some of the members are diehard NDC stalwarts with VCRAC Crabbe already made his views known that he does not support any idea of a new voters register. If it is true as alleged, then Mr Crabbe is not neutral and without the quality of neutrality, he cannot be fair and without fairness, he cannot be a credible member on this particular occasion of gathering serious information that has the potential to break or make Ghana.

Professor Asante also claims to be unfazed about the public assertion that he is very partisan. In this current era in the life of Ghana where those already well placed seek to increase their material acquisition at the expense of the poor, there is no wonder that Professor Asante does not give a hoot about his likely political colouration. Tribes, organizations and professions are highly polarised all because of the tactics adopted by the NDC to continue to stay in power to inflict broad daylight robbery on Ghanaians. Ghana is sinking but these men and women without demonstrable integrity keep piling on to the already heavy load that is sinking the ship. The behaviour of some, if not all the five members, is unnecessarily increasing the burden of the nation.

If the public are claiming that some or all the members do passionately belong to a particular political party or are emotionally tilted towards one party that claim alone should serve as more than enough grounds to disqualify them. If they were White people, they would have declined to sit on the panel but being black people with dark mentality, they will not only sit on the panel but also, do exactly as they are accused of; same believing that nobody can do anything to them. They couldn't give a tinker's cuss about what the public thinks.

Any sensible patriot presumed by the public to have a conflict of interest in any particular case will recuse themselves if appointed to preside over the case but this is not so with most people in polarized Ghana.

To the members of the panel I ask, why are only NDC members so vociferous about blocking a new voters register from being introduced? What have the NDC to fear about a new voters register devoid of suspicious foreigners and minors' names?

"The Members of the Committee are former Electoral Commissioner and Supreme Court judge VCRAC Crabbe, Prof Asante, former Government Statistician, Dr Grace Bediako, President of the Internet Society of Ghana, Dr Nii Narku Quaynor and Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Bin Salih"

Were the members selected because of their paper qualifications and positions once held or are holding in Ghana? As money cannot buy you happiness, so does the possession of higher paper qualifications not make one intelligent or honest? Subsequently, how were those particular persons selected, I want to know? Were they not selected because they will surely favour the NDC or support their side?

President Mahama and the NDC are trying to be smart, to cling on to power by foul means through the help of dishonest individuals who walk with their stomach.

As tired as I am, dozing off probably, I shall quit now as I can hardly think properly but not without promising to revisit same topic at a later date. I shall leave the members of the panel with the underlying quotation. But before then, I promise to discuss the IT aspect of the bloated register in my future publication on this same topic. I hope the member who has doctorate degree in IT will live above reproach since she stands to be exposed should any shortcomings influenced by dishonesty and partisanship be established. Most Ghanaian IT experts abroad, especially our children born overseas with credible higher qualifications in Information Technology (IT) are all watching.

"Judicial disqualification, also referred to as recusal, refers to the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer. Applicable statutes or canons of ethics may provide standards for recusal in a given proceeding or matter. Providing that the judge or presiding officer must be free from disabling conflicts of interest makes the fairness of the proceedings less likely to be questioned – Source – WIKIPEDIA.

I dedicate this publication to Mr Supper, alias "Osaman" of late. Mr Supper, welcome back to base. How was "Ogyakrom?"

Rockson Adofo