Opinions of Saturday, 26 September 2020

Columnist: Nana Antwi Boasiako Barimah

Extinguishing needless NDC propaganda over new voters roll, a case of the exhibition exercise

File Photo File Photo

In their monumental failed attempt to dent the hard earned credibility and integrity of the current commissioners of the independent electoral commission over the new voters register, NDC has resorted to incessant disputations at every phase of the registration process.

Of course I'm not surprised, that is NDC for you, a party filled with numerous paradoxical and enigmatic characters. Same period 2016, their stance on the EC was the direct opposite of what it is today. Such hypocrisy and double standards cannot be countenanced in this modern day political enterprise.

Mahama can sense a horrible defeat from afar, hence, his continuous unwarranted attacks on the EC and a threat not to accept the results of a flawed election. I keep on wondering what his definition of a flawed election will be!

NDC's noise over the anomalies relative to the exhibition of the voters register is an affront to scientific principles. Sadly, most intellectuals in the NDC are navigating in this same trajectory when they ought to know better.

Exhibition is supposed to bring out errors such that corresponding appropriate corrective measures can be taken to remedy the situation.

In science and in research, a margin of error of 5% &10% are acceptable based on the chosen Confidence Level!

And if you compute the margin of error based on the proportion of affected individuals as revealed by this current voter exhibition exercise as against the entire voter population, it is less than 0.05% which can easily be corrected. So why these ugly noises?

Ironically, most NDC gurus hold BScs, MScs, PhDs etc and they worked with 5% and 10% level of precision (Alpha level/Margin of error) and 95% *Confidence Level* during their studies, yet due to political expediency, they have decided to suffer from selective amnesia in this direction.

Have we paused to ask why in science the *efficiency of any machine* is always less than 100%? Have we additionally asked why any *screening testing regime* on this planet is always less than 100%? This lays credence to the fact that we cannot have a perfect system!

It is worth noting the fact that *Voter registration* is a scientific exercise, hence it is highly susceptible to errors and other forms of anomalies. Therefore, the errors identified in this current voters roll is nothing new since it will be duly corrected.

Based on the aforementioned premise, if anybody who is a true patriot wants to do an honest intellectual analysis not borne out of intellectual dishonesty, they will definitely rhyme with scientific facts and principles!

In a nutshell, the demonstrable competence and the impeccable track records of the current commissioners of the independent electoral commission cannot be derailed by a political fraternity whose track record is akin to *legendary corruption* and a locus classicus of incompetence (Not forgetting the fact that the word incompetence gained prominence and was introduced into Ghana's political lexicon under the reign of JDM since he birthed incompetence, worked incompetence & slept incompetence).

Long Live the EC

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana