The 2016 flagbearer of the All People’s Congress (APC) Hassan Ayariga has descended on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei and said she is reaping from the unfair treatment she meted out to some of the flagbearers in the 2016 elections and must keep quiet and carry the cross.
According to him karma is catching up with Mrs Charlotte Osei for high-handedness against the APC and other political parties ahead of the 2016 elections.
He said: “Mrs Charlotte Osei must know that what goes around comes around.”
Hassan Ayariga’s comments came after
Charlotte Osei is facing possible impeachment as she is expected to answer to six allegations out of the 27 accusations leveled against her by her two deputies Amadu Sulley, in charge of Operations, and Georgina Amankwa, in charge of Corporate Services.
This was after she appeared before the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court on Monday, December 11, after the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo forwarded a petition by Forson Ampofoh and Godsway Dzado, both drivers at the EC, for her impeachment in relation to alleged corruption and mismanagement.
She has however explained that she has not been officially served with the petition and has, therefore, written to the presidency to furnish her with a copy of the petition.
She has also written to the Judicial Council acknowledging the invitation to appear before the Committee set up to probe the allegations. She was quick to demand, however, a copy of the petition, as well as the composition of the committee.
Meanwhile the Presidency has also responded to her demands and indicated that her lawyers erred in writing to the Flagstaff House to demand copies of the petition seeking her impeachment since the petition is no longer in the custody of the Flagstaff House.
It emerged that few days after receiving the petition; President Akufo-Addo referred the petition to the Chief Justice as stipulated by the constitution.
But Hassan Ayariga said: “Nobody is above the law, not even the president of the republic. Nobody is above impeachment when you go contrary to the rules and regulations of the institutions you occupy if you abuse power or you are found to be corrupt. And like I said, nobody is above impeachment, not even the president of the republic of Ghana is above impeachment.”
He also revealed that “I even wanted to send her to court after the elections, but upon advice from friends and other things, we have forgiven her for the unfortunate events she had carried out against us, we have allowed it to go, we wish her well wherever she is going. But she should always remember: what goes around comes around. And that no matter your position in this country, you need to be fair to every ordinary person because where you are today, tomorrow somebody will be there.”
He also wondered why Mrs Charlotte Osei would now be writing to the presidency and the CJ asking for a copy of the petition when she had already responded to the allegations made against her.
He said: “And I hear her asking of the petition to be given a copy. Is Madam Charlotte Osei serious? Is she telling us she doesn’t know what the petition against her is? Is she serious about this? If she is not aware, how come she responded to all those allegations? Please for God’s sake, sometimes when you talk, don’t think you are the only one who has common sense and who has monopoly of knowledge, everybody. This case came out five months ago, you never asked for a copy of the petition, today now that you are in court, you want a copy?”
The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is claiming Mrs Osei being witch-hunted by the current administration.
But Mr Ayariga averred that the petition against Mrs Osei was filed by “genuine members” of the EC, and “not members of another political party. I don’t think that this is coming from the corridors of the NPP like my brothers in the NDC are claiming. This is not an issue of witch-hunting as my brothers in the NDC want us to believe, no no,” Mr Ayariga said.
PROSPER AGBENYEGA