Medusa rears its ugly head again.

It may take a long time, but a stammerer will finally be able to pronounce “father”. Nobody is more powerful than the Creator. A warrior often dies of war, a swimmer dies of water but a parrot dies of pride.

Those with conscience never take bullet from the rear, because we are always face to face with war. It is better to die honourably than to be subjected to ridicule. If one’s friend is sized by death, is that not a warning to the living? If the ape has to die of stomachache, let not the monkey rejoice because they are of the same sibling.

We need to cry today so that we may not weep tomorrow. Champions are not raised on the bed of roses nor stars made on the platter of gold. If we want the pleasures of tomorrow, we must gladly accept the pressures of today. It is better to lose our lives now in order to have assurance of peace. The price of peace is war.

Big Oga Madam, the Nero of our time, Charlotte Osei has done it again. And it is not anything that she should be “awarded” for common sense. No, far from it! It is the most stupid thing that has been done since the creation of the entity called Ghana. I have to call a spade a spade and damn the consequences. There is no other word or expression I can use to describe her action apart from describing it as senseless, disgusting, despicable, unethical, unthinkable, ungodly, unpatriotic, disgusting, anarchic and nihilistic.

The discordant tunes emanating from the stables of Charlotte Osei could be anything but bizarre whose ultimate destination is Golgotha and Armageddon. This Charlotte Osei, this Big Oga Madam, has since her appointment, not been able to get all her aces right. Instead of calling her to sit up, people have been showering praises of praises upon her. Now she has. She is gradually becoming a hydra with the head of a Medusa. It is now time for Ghanaians to stand up and be counted as men of integrity.

First, she came out to tell Ghanaians that the number of suspected multiple registered voters in the country was about 150,000. Then came her bombshell. Out of this number Ashanti Region alone has over 200,000. Haba! Charlotte Osei, have you transmuted into Alice in Wonderland? How possible? Have you just returned from the Island of Super Carli Fragilistic Expi Alodocious, where food flows freely to you even when you are not hungry? Are you so deficient in Arithmetic that you cannot add two or more figures together or subtract one from the other? If you have exhibited such mediocre performance in Arithmetic, what will happen if you are confronted with Algebra of Geometry? “Asem beba dabi”.

It took a strong challenge from Freddie Blay, Acting Chairman of the NPP before Charlotte Osei admitted he had made a mistake.. But that was not all. Something more damning will have to occur to make Charlotte Osei earn the accolade, “Ghana’s Chemical Ali”, and she has lived up to that name.

Then came the mother of all mistakes. The total of all the figures she awarded to each of the Ten Regions was a little more than 69,000. Yet Mrs. Charlotte Osei said the total was more than 200,000. I asked this question in one of my write ups. If in spite of all the electronic gadgets and the personnel at her disposal, she could make such a gargantuan mistake, the country was headed towards Armageddon .As simple as ABC.

Next, I asked what would happen if in the cause of declaration of the Presidential Result, she announced the loser as the winner. I did not get any answers to the posers I raised in that write up. And the, she has done what she is good at again. And that is the reason why I am extremely angry. You see, Ghanaians have to be proactive and now allow evil to occur before we say, “Had I known?

I say, and will continue to shout for the umpteenth time that Mrs. Charlotte Osei is dangerous specie of a human being and her continuous stay at the helm of Ghana’s Electoral Commission is detrimental to our corporate existence as Ghanaians. Do not say, I did not warn you ooo. I cannot fathom what had gone on in her head as she did the unthinkable and took the absurd decision to disqualify the 13 Presidential hopefuls? Did she think of the interest of the country first? Has she reflected for even a moment the implications of her action on the country?

Who doesn’t make mistakes in life? Any reasonable human being would sit back with the rest of her Commissioners or Deputies to have a second look at the unfortunate and absurd decision after learning of the hullaballoo that followed her unilateral decision.

The days of taking such unilateral and rash decisions are gone. In earlier times, Auditors would spring surprise of Accountants and Bursars without informing them of their visits> Students could be suspended or dismissed without giving them a hearing. But in the light of the new dispensation we are enjoying all over the world, except for some few countries, such systems are no longer in operation. Even when auditors raise queries on your books, they give you the opportunity to explain.

What Mrs. Charlotte Osei and fellow conspirators have done could only happen in Afghanistan where the Taliban’s hold sway and Boko Harem’s enclave.

A similar situation occurred in Nigeria after the Evil Genius, I,B.B. had annulled the June 12, 1992 Presidential Election which was described as the freest of all elections held in the country and won by the late business mogul Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olabisi Abiola.

The Military junta led by General Abdulsalam Abubakar realized that the West where Chief Abiola came from was aggrieved and in the interest of the entire Nigeria should be pacified. The junta was registering political parties. A deadline was given.

On the last day of the registration, the Alliance for Democracy which drew is support base from the West was yet to submit its papers. When the party brought them, they were not intact as one document. But INEC decided to give the party a reprieve, It registered the party to enable it participate in all the elections that were held in Nigeria.

That singular act by both the Military Junta and the INEC saved the county from disintegration. This is how leaders of integrity take bold and wise decisions. They do not arrogate to themselves powers they do not have.

Is our Big Oga Madam by her intransigence causing financial loss to the state? Just think of the number of man hours that will be lost through litigation, and state funds to be used to prosecute this unnecessary and stupid battle and you would but conclude that Madam Charlotte Osei has just emerged from outer space to upset the apple cart. Yes, she is not fit to occupy the position she has commandeered for herself. This is as simple as drinking “koko or porridge.

Whe she committed both unpardonable mistakes and was challenged by Freddie Blay before she ate humble pie by admitting it, did her conscience prick her to renounce her position> By her own standard she ought to have done the most honourable thing by committing hari-kari or like Judas Iscariot hanged herself. No, she did not but is still clinging on to her plush position. But a little mistake and this wicked lady, this Jezebel of our time has used a sledge hammer to kill an ant. Is this fair? No, it isn’t!

Come to think about the election petition at the Supreme Court where Presiding Officers and other officials of the Commission deliberately refused to sign pink sheets. What did they say? Administrative Errors! Why shift the goal post now?
On the issue of double registration, how were the parties to know if one was involved in it? Our Big Oga Madam and her Deputies should first indict themselves for dereliction of duty.

The EC as an institution should have published the names of all those involved in double registration for all to see or know. IF any party uses any of such published names as a subscriber, then the Commission would be legitimate in disqualifying that particular Presidential aspirant. The Football Associations and its e Regulatory Bodies always do that.

They always publish lists of players who are ineligible to play in a football match as a result of having received maximum number of Yellow Cards or Red Card. In Football/Soccer, if a player involves him/herself in double registration, it is the player that gets punished not the clubs

Why has the EC not published the names of those who have engaged in double registration and why has it not taken legal action against such culprits. Does this not say much about the competence level of Charlotte Osei and her moribund Electoral Commission? Now, she says she has referred Hassan Ayariga to the CID for calling himself a Doctor which to her he does not merit.

What double standard is that? If he wants Hassan Ayariga to be investigated and punished, what prevents her from giving similar dose to those who have engaged in double registration? Is it because Ayariga called her imprint able names and have threatened to sue her and the EC? Wonders, they say shall never end. I do not subscribe to the under current tactics being used by Hassan Ayariga to thwart the efforts of the Presidential Candidate of the Nipa Pa Party. But that does not preclude me from commenting on the injustice that has been done to him and other disqualified l Candidates. This is the difference between Citizen Daniel Danquah Damptey and the political gladiators in the Nefarious Destructive Cancer.

Again, Ayariga makes a very revealing statement. He says the EC asked the party to correct some mistakes on his form. Then, he made a very revealing statement. He asks why the EC did not ask the party to get two new subscribers to replace the two that the Commission claims were ineligible. This is a very relevant issue which the EC must give answers to. Again, if a subscriber endorses the nomination forms of two candidates, why should the candidates suffer? How are the two parties to know that the same person has already endorsed that of another candidate? Everybody knows the way delegates behave in political parties primaries. Sir John rightly admonishes us to “Fear Delegates” and this is the truth. Charlotte Osei should not pretend to be the only stranger in Jerusalem.

In conclusion, I want to ask the Chair person of the EC what she has achieved by her stance. Is she not aware that her stubborn and arrogant stance could derail the December 7, 2016 Presidential Elections? And again, why rush to conduct balloting for positions in Parliamentary Elections whilst there are unresolved issues about the Presidential Election? Is it the hand of Esau tele guiding the EC on how to conduct its affairs so that the elections do not come on as scheduled? Does she want a repetition of what happened during the District Assembly Election? If such a thing happens, the ruling Government’s mandate will be extended, albeit unconstitutionally. Is this the veiled intention of Mrs. Charlotte Osei? Ghanaians deserve answers to these posers.

Does Charlotte Osei want her name to be written in gold by supervising a n election which would be regarded by all aspiring candidates as being free and fair, devoid of any under current tactics? Does she expect Ghanaians to remember her as a pupil who goes to school to answer ‘Present, Sir’ and then is heard no more?

Let her tenure at the EC be without acrimony. Let her not be remembered as the Medusa. Let her be remembered as the Peacock, This is my wish for her. The Past cannot be changed, but we must work through the Present in order to mould the Future.

Daniel Danquah Damptey (Self-Appointed Special Aide to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo)
Damptey_daniel@yahoo.com (0243715297)