Opinions of Thursday, 8 October 2020

Columnist: Murtala Mohammed Ahmed

Asiedu Nketia peddles untruth

General Secretary of NDC, Asiedu Nketia General Secretary of NDC, Asiedu Nketia

I saw a video of Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, making rounds on social media on some gaffes he claims the Electoral Commission has committed. After watching the video over and over again, I can conclude without hesitation that Asiedu Nketia is a bloody liar. Nothing more, nothing less.

Apart from the law the electoral commission quoted wrongly, all the other allegations were complete lies. Even the mistake in quoting the law has no direct relation to the submission of forms unless you wish to cure the blunder through the annals of the courts. Otherwise, you could simply call the attention of the electoral commission for rectification; and not to go organize mini rally at the EC and shamlessly throw your weightless weight about.

In any case, are both laws not directing candidates to declare their assets? Whether one quotes the expunged law or the existing law, the request remains the same. And if you strongly hold reservations about it, go to court or do the most honourable thing by calling the attention of the E lectoral Commission to rectify it. Not to come and stage play. Turn your back to EC and spew nonsense.

Look! the jokes and antics in this country are getting too much. We need to protect State Institutions from these power-drunk politicos dressed in smock and going by the name Honorable. There's nothing Honorable about populism.

The 2nd issue about warning the electoral commission not to compile a new register is neither here nor there. The decision to compile register is not political parties call, but the EC's. So why will any party want to dictate for them? Besides, at the time of arguing about a new voters register, there was nothing like COVID-19 in Ghana.

How could you suddenly turn round to blame the EC of the delays as a result of COVID-19? Why should the EC cancel the new register just because of COVID-19 pandemic after all the efforts and money spent? What a joke! You and your party must boycott this election or bow your heads in shame for taunting that, the EC will not be able to compile the new register within the stipulated period. I mean you and your henchmen; the highly opaque CSOs.

In a bid to ward off your disgrace, you callously want to blame the EC for a successful compilation of a register in the name of wrong quotation of a law. All the political parties have received emails to come for the provisional register, why didn't you add that to your rantings?

Obviously, it will cure the mischief you seek to achieve by accusing the electoral commission of breaching the law. Which law and since when did you realize that? No party has been handed a hardcopy voters register since we went biometric in 2012.

It has always been that the EC will request the party to come along with a drive to download it and all parties have been ask to do so before filing. I heard Sammy Gyamfi and Griffix have also said on Metro TV that, this was the first time parties are filing their nomination with provisional register. For them, its pure ignorance but Asiedu Nketia is a bloody liar.

The last Supreme court judgment on election 2016 was on November 8, yet you and your party were tight-lipped about the attitude of Charlotte Osei. Today you have found your tinny voice because defeat is staring you in the face and you need an excuse for it. We had no COVID-19 yet we completed filing our nomination on November 8. This time, filing is happening in October, NOT November. What hypocrisy!? Why didn't you rant then?

The last thing in that video I want to deal with is the phrase 'fully militarize commission'. Bloody liar! You are more than Christopher Columbus. Having military presence did not start with Madam Jean Mensah. Indeed we have had the opportunity to complain several times at IPAC and in the media about how Charlotte Osei turned the EC into a security zone with the presence of the police and military.

You were quiet then because it inured to your whims and caprices. Now that you're in opposition, you are shouting on top of your voice as though this occurrence is imported from Western TogoLand. Cut the crab and show some respect for institutions of state. Such display of bravado and hero seaking wouldn't be countenance in this country again. We are country ruled by law and your likes must learn to respect that. Whatever there is to correct ie error or mistake or blatant abuse of the system, the law has given remedies. We must all learn to follow the law accordingly.

There will be no more drama in Ghana.

#Ataayamusings