General News of Tuesday, 19 May 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Be quiet if you can’t be neutral - Sam George to Peace Council

Sam George, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram Sam George, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram

Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam George, has urged the Peace Council to refrain from commenting on political issues if it cannot be neutral in it comments.

According to him, the Peace Council is beginning to show traces of bipartisanship; this he believes will affect the peace and democracy of the country.

“I plead with them, for the sake of the democracy we practice, if they cannot be neutral they should keep quiet.” He said

Sam George’s comment falls on the back of calls by General Secretary of the National Peace Council, George Amoh, to politicians and other stakeholders to allow the EC execute its constitutional mandate independently.


The lawmaker maintained that it would have been fair if the Peace Council had maintained its comments made in 2015 during similar debates, as this current call shows traces of hypocrisy and bipartisanship.


Speaking on TV3’s morning show, Sam George said “…I I’m worried hearing the calls of the current chairman, General Secretary of the peace council saying that nobody should worry the electoral commission and that the electoral commission should be allowed to do their work. That would have been a fair call, if the same peace council in 2015, when the then opposition party raised issues about a register just as the current opposition has raised issues about the current register, their comments at the time was that the EC for fairness, should listen to the then opposition. So, when it was the NPP raising issues the Peace Council thought that the EC had a responsibility to listen to them and give them a fair hearing for fairness. The same peace council when issues of procurement came up against Charlotte Osei said Charlotte Osei and all the Commissioners should resign, so that that investigation can be done without them interfering. When the EC raises issues with the register the Peace Council will now set a different marking scheme and say that leave the EC they are they are independent.


He added that inconsistency in the comments of the Peace Council shows traces of hypocrisy which will gradually make people say the Council is by partisan.

It is this level of hypocrisy that will lead people to say the Peace council that should be nonpartisan is beginning to show traces of partisanship. What is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. This council has set a certain standard and I’m worried because the people on the peace council are people I know personally and I have huge respect for. Men who are supposed to be the moral conscience of our country, men of the clergy I plead with them for the sake of democracy we practice, if they cannot be neutral they should keep quiet.