It’s not your responsibility to decide for Ghanaians – Otukonor replies Jean Mensa

Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr Peter Boamah Otukonor says the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Madam Jean Mensa has no right to decide for Ghanaians whether there is the need for a new voters’ register or not.

“It is the responsibility of Ghanaians to make decisions for themselves, their future and how it is supposed to be”, Mr Otukonor told Peace FM last Saturday in an interview MyNewsGh.com monitored.

“It is not her (Jean Mensa’s) responsibility to decide for Ghanaians”, he added.

Last Saturday, a group calling itself Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Voter Register (IPRAN) led by the NDC hit the street of Tamale to demonstrate against decision by the EC to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 elections.

However, Mr Otukonor speaking on Peace News that evening explained “What we (NDC) want to say is that, it is the power of the people which has been bestowed unto Akufo-Addo of which he has also given a portion to Jean Mensa. Therefore Jean Mensa shouldn’t think the position gives her the power to solely decide for Ghanaians. It is not her responsibility to decide for Ghanaians. It is the responsibility of Ghanaians to make decisions for themselves, their future and how it supposed to be”.

Mr Otukonor’s statement comes after the Electoral Commission led by Madam Jean Mensa heatedly stood by their decision to compile new voters’ register while the NDC Civil societies and some stakeholders think there is no need.

The Electoral Commission said in a statement that it does not need public opinion before it can compile a new voter register.

It further argued that, the cost of upgrading the old system for the register cost much higher than compiling a new one.

It is estimated that, the EC will need about GHC 400 million in compiling a new register but the NDC executive in his interview challenged the EC to produce documents to support its argument of high cost in upgrading old register.

The Communication Officer of the NDC Mr Sammy Gyamfi, on the other hand, has described Madam Jean Mensa as “slay queen and minister for elections affairs for Akufo-Addo”.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has since 2016 supported the idea of compiling a new voter register. They claim the current register which brought Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo the then flagbearer of the party into power is bloated and not credible.

Mr Gabby Asare Otchere Darko a staunch member of the NPP says he is worried about the EC’s stands on the issue.

“The EC has made a strong case (on cost and integrity) for a new register. But for me, concerns about timing still not addressed”. He said in a Facebook post.