The Effutu branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is suspecting that the Municipal Director of Elections for the constituency has allegedly been transferred for failing to do the bid of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Emelia Ama Akotia, who according to the Parliamentary candidate for the NDC in the constituency, James Kofi Annan, has been transferred amid the ongoing limited voter registration exercise, is to help the NPP transfer people from other constituencies to register at the polity.
At a press conference Monday, May 27, 2024, Mr. Kofi Annan indicated that the Commission bloated the voters’ roll with over 20,000 names in 2020, something it intends repeating this year.
“We believe that the Electoral Commission failed to prevent the 2020 Effutu voters register from being bloated with an estimated 20,000 illegally imported voters. Even though we are still facing challenges, it seemed that the Commission is now taking steps to prevent more imported voters onto the Effutu register in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise,” he said at the press conference.
He is alleging that Madam Akotia, who is ensuring such deeds are not repeated in the upcoming voter transfer, has been relieved from the constituency to bring a politically induced Director to supervise their machinations.
Meanwhile, when OnuaOnline contacted Madam Akotia to find out if she has been transferred or not, she said “I will get back to you on this.”
Find below his full statement delivered at the press conference:
THE EFFUTU NDC CONDEMNS JEAN MENSA FOR THE UNETHICAL TRANSFER OF ITS EFFUTU MUNICIPAL DIRECTOR
The Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission has transferred its Effutu Municipal Director, Madam Emelia Ama Akotia, with immediate effect. This transfer has come despite the ongoing limited registration and transfer exercises.
We in the NDC condemn this transfer in no uncertain terms, and are calling on Madam Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, to immediately reverse this unholy decision.
The NDC in Effutu has had its own challenges with the Effutu Electoral Commission. We believe that the Electoral Commission failed to prevent the 2020 Effutu voters register from being bloated with an estimated 20,000 illegally imported voters. Even though we are still facing challenges, it seemed that the Commission is now taking steps to prevent more imported voters onto the Effutu register in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise. Discussions are also ongoing to sanitize the voter transfer process, which is scheduled to commence on May 30.
The sudden transfer of Madam Emelia Ama Akotia from Effutu, in the middle of the limited voter registration exercise, therefore, comes as a shock to us. The way Madam Akotia has been transferred raises a number of questions:
1. Why is Ama being transferred with immediate effect, especially in the middle of the ongoing registration and transfer exercises?
2. If she has committed any offense, what was the nature of the offense, that is so grave that the Electoral Commission could not wait till the end of the ongoing registration and transfer exercises for such a transfer to be effected?
3. If it is a normal, and routine administrative transfer, then why was the transfer not done earlier or after the ongoing exercise?
4. Why has Madam Ama Akotia been transferred just days after she is reported to have had altercations with elements within the leadership of the Effutu NPP? Does Ama’s transfer has anything to do with her unwillingness to do the bidding of the NPP?
There are multiple sources pointing to elements within the NPP gallivanting several constituencies such as Tema East, Agona West and East, all the three Gomoa constituencies, Awutu Senya East, KEEA, and several other constituencies, promising people with money, to transfer their votes to Effutu to vote for the NPP. We are hearing that the new person being brought to the Effutu constituency is a political orchestration to fulfill the wishes of the NPP, in the impending voter transfer, and subsequent activities towards the December 7 elections.
We are by this statement calling on the general public to stay away from transferring their votes to the Effutu constituency, if you are not eligible to vote here. Students of educational institutions in Effutu are qualified to transfer their votes here. Individuals who have lived in the constituency for 12 months and above, are qualified to transfer their votes here. Any other transfer is illegal.
