“Better resign and go back to the classroom” – Edem Agbana to Bossman Asare

The Deputy National Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Eric Edem Agbana has lashed out at the Deputy Electoral Commissioners, Dr. Eric Bossman Asare saying he has “failed the credibility test in the performance of his duties as Deputy EC Boss.”

His comment is coming at the wake of media reports suggesting Dr. Bossman Asare who is supposed to serve as referee in the upcoming Referendum on the introduction of partisan politics into the district level elections is going about campaigning for YES vote.

According to him in social media post sighted by Awake News, when he [Edem] from the onset was of the view that Dr. Bossman Asare was not fit to be the Deputy Electoral Commissioner, he was insulted adding that “It is one thing being an excellent academic, it is another handling a critical organization like the electoral commission.”

“DR BOSSMAN ASARE, I know you will read this, let me leave you with a popular quote I learnt in Mawuli School, it says “A breach of Common Sense is a Breach of All Rules and Regulations” .

It is a NO NO for you as Deputy EC to even postulate your opinion on this matter !!!

You may as well start wearing your NPP paraphernalia to the office.” – He said

The Controversies

The upcoming December 17, 2019 is generating a huge controversy. Firstly, the public said the picture was painted as though the referendum was aimed at given the power for the citizen to election their own MMDCEs.

This was affirmed when media reports suggested that “President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to turn out in their numbers on December 17, to vote ‘Yes’ in the Referendum to elect Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE).” He was reported to have made this call when he was “speaking at the 30th-anniversary celebration of the Akatsi District Assembly, on Monday, November 2, 2019 at the start of his two-day tour of the Volta Region”

President Akufo-Addo said to have noted that the district assembly concept, introduced under the Rawlings era, is one of the most important contributions to the improvement of Ghana’s national governance.

“Now, it is time to deepen the process that began 31 years ago, and entrust to the people full sovereignty over the election of the MMDCEs and members of the District Assemblies,” he stated.

On November 9, 2019, The Chairperson of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) was reported to have indicated that the national referendum scheduled for December 17 is to allow citizens vote for the amendment of the constitutional provision which currently prevents political parties from participating in District Level Elections (DLEs).

She thus clarified that it is not meant to the election of the MMDCEs contrary to what President Akufo-Addo was reported to have said.

“The Commission wishes to clarify that the 2019 National Referendum is to enable citizens to vote on the proposed amendment of Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution that currently bars political parties from participating in District Level Elections (DLEs).”

“The proposed amendment is to introduce multi-party participation in the Local Government system in Ghana,” a statement from the NCCE clarified.

According to the NCCE, this provision as entrenched in the constitution can only be amended if 40% of persons eligible to vote show up and 75% of the voters vote ‘YES’ in favour of the amendment.

Vote NO campaigners

The National House of Chiefs has openly kicked against the introduction of partisan politics to our local governance system. It is also on record that while the National Democratic Congress, the Progressive Peoples Party and other progressive forces are advocating for a NO vote, whiles the governing New Patriotic Party is unremittingly canvassing for a YES vote.

Read the full post of Edem Agbana:

When I said my friend & lecturer, Dr Bossman Asare was not fit to be Deputy EC, I was insulted.

There you have him Campaigning for YES in the referendum.