Opinions of Monday, 26 August 2024

Columnist: Abukari Majeed

A letter to Jean Mensa

EC chairperson Jean Mensa EC chairperson Jean Mensa

Dear Jean Mensa,

I send my heartfelt greetings from the ghetto.

You can see with your very eyes that Ghanaians are eye-red about the 2024 general elections. The stakes are very high.

In case you are still downplaying it, I just want to remind you of how citizens were able to arrest an individual in possession of the EC's Biometric Verification Machine (BVM). Which, you and I know, must be a source of worry to all well-meaning Ghanaians, and especially the Electoral Commission.

Despite all the Nato-like security establishments at the EC, not even the 24-hour CCTV surveillance, someone/some people have been able to bypass all that and steal some Biometric Verification machines (BVM).

Until yesterday, despite the deployment of investigative bodies at the peril of our taxes some months now to investigate and arrest these perpetrators,
which have proved futile. The Ghanaian citizens, who are vigilantly searching for the whereabouts of the BVM, arrested and sent the culprit to the police.

It is, however, not gain-saying that one of the BVM that is in possession of such an unauthorized individual(s) has been verified and confirmed as one of those that were stolen from your outfit.

Madam Jean Mensa, in order not to mince further words on behalf of Ghanaians in registering our displeasure and sending an assurance to your outfit and the security agencies, we, the citizens, shall continue to be law-abiding in matters of this nature. As could be seen in the manner in which the culprit was handled and sent to the Nsawam police station, this, without qualms, sends a clear statement of the readiness of citizens to stay vigilant before, during, and after the elections.

And so, all that we, the citizens of Ghana, are asking of you is to conduct transparent, free, and fair elections.

It is not in the interest of anyone to hold your outfit to ransom if you are impartial before, during, and after the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Madam, I hope we are not asking much. After all, we are already coexisting as friends, neighbors, families, brothers, and sisters, despite our differences in our political diversity. Let us maintain that through your outfit readiness to be unbiased, while the security agencies maintain law or order.

Shalom, madam commissioner.