According to President Akufo-Addo, the laws of the country are applicable to everyone and must be enforced irrespective of a person’s reputation or appearance.
President Akufo-Addo has said that the fact that Charlotte Osei is “beautiful” does not mean she is beyond reproach when she errs.
According to him, the laws of the country are applicable to everyone and must be enforced irrespective of a person’s reputation or appearance.
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“We can’t look at somebody and say because of your beauty the law does not apply to you; that is not how the law works,” he said in relation to criticisms regarding the sacking of the EC Chair.
“…..The law is applicable to everyone in Ghana including me. If you do anything against the law, the law ought to be applied. It is painful but that’s what has happened.”
The president was speaking to the Ghanaian community in Nouakchott, Mauritania, where he was attending the 31st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union.
Mrs. Osei and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah, were last Thursday dismissed from office by the President following a recommendation by the Chief Justice.
Mrs. Charlotte Osei was sacked on "stated misbehaviour and incompetence" while her deputies were dismissed for diverting funds into private accounts.
President Akufo-Addo said his hands were tied in the decision to sack the Electoral Commissioner and her two deputies.
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He explained that once the committee set up by the Chief Justice recommended it, he had no choice than to go with it.
“I don’t have the power to say I disagree with the Committee; the law does not give me the power to investigate on my own to say I disagree with the committee,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
“The law says whatever recommendation the committee will present, I as the President, ought to obey and implement. That is why I removed madam Charlotte Osei and her two deputies from Office.”
He further indicated that he will appoint an apolitical person to replace Mrs. Osei as EC Chair.
He assured that the new EC boss will be an apolitical person who is “coming to do a job for Ghana”, rather than serve a particular political party.
“We are not looking for persons who are coming to do a job for the NDC or for the NPP. We are looking for persons who are coming to do a job for Ghana. That is what we are looking for, for the Electoral Commission,” the President said.