EC staff are poorly paid – Former Director

A former director of the Electoral Commission Mr. Kwame Damoah Agyemang has revealed that staff of the commission are amongst the least paid workers of state institutions in Ghana.

According to him, if moves are not made to improve their service conditions, they may become susceptible to corruption.

Staff of EC have threatened to go on a nationwide strike on February 22, 2016 if immediate steps are not taken to improve their poor service conditions.

A statement by the EC Senior Staff Association on behalf of the entire staff stated that "all salary negotiations undertaken with the relevant institutions and authorities since 2012 have yielded no resolution."

They also outlined that “on 8th of February, 2016, the entire staff of the Electoral Commission will raise red flags in all Commission's establishments and vehicles as a sign of our dissatisfaction and aversion of the state of affairs”.

“On 15thFebruary, 2016, the entire staff will embark on a sit-down strike, and on 22" February, 2016, a full blown strike will be embarked upon by the entire staff”.

Speaking on Morning Starr Friday, Mr. Agyemang told host Nii Arday Clegg that issues of poor working conditions for EC staff must be immediately addressed as the country prepares for the presidential and parliamentary elections in November.

He added that rising through the ranks is almost nonexistent within the EC.

“What I have been told is that up to now on the Single Spine Salary Structure they don’t know where they belong and they are among the least paid amongst the governance institutions.

“Not that this year being an election year they want to take the country hostage, no, not that, but they have been cheated for far too long...last December was my 11th year after retirement and nobody has been promoted in the senior grade to the chief directorship…so you can see the stagnation,” Mr. Agyemang said.

Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM

No injunction on CPP congress – Delle

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has served notice its weekend’s congress to elect a presidential candidate for the 2016 elections is coming off.

A disqualified CPP presidential aspirant Dr. Onsy Nkrumah has filed a petition at the Human Rights court seeking to injunct the party’s presidential primaries which comes off tomorrow, January 30.

According to him, his disqualification by the party was unjust and baseless.

However, the national chairman of the CPP, Prof. Edmund Dele said the party has received a motion for order of an injunction and is to appear in court on Wednesday, February 3, which goes beyond the congress day.

Speaking to Kasapa FM’s Maame Broni, Prof Dele noted per the advice from the party’s lawyers, they would breach no law if the congress is held on Saturday.

He was optimistic that the party will emerge victorious after the congress without any hitches.

Prof Dele therefore expressed his disappointment in Onsy for his action, noting he (Dele) personally did his best to afford him an opportunity to contest but Onsy blew it away.

Onsy who claims to be the son of Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was disqualified after he presented a cheque instead of a banker’s draft for his filing fee.

Source: Ghana/starrfmonline.com/103.5FM

EC is delaying my party – Hassan Ayariga

Leader of the yet to be certified All People’s Congress ( APC) Hassan Ayariga has said the electoral commission is unduly delaying the certification of his party despite the fact they have met all the necessary requirements.

After numerous media reports that the APC had been approved and ready to partake in the November polls, the EC in a statement said it had not registered any political party this year.

“Persons who apply for registration of political parties have several requirements which must be met under the Political Parties Act 2000 (Act 574). Until these requirements have been met and a party has been issued with a final registration certificate, the party seeking registration cannot conduct its activities as a political party.

“The Commission is accordingly advising and reminding applicants that it is against the provisions of Act 574 to canvass for votes until the party has been issued with a final registration certificate,” the electoral management body said.

Speaking to the state-owned Daily Graphic on the development, the 2012 flagbearer of the PNC said the APC has furnished the EC with everything, including its constitution.

“In our view, it is rather the EC that has delayed in issuing us with our party provisional certificate.

“As we speak, APC has satisfied the whole law—Political Party Act—and gone ahead to furnish the EC with a list of over 170 district officers, excluding regional offices, as well as the party’s constitution,” he said.

Source:Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5FM

Onsy seeks injunction on CPP polls

Onsy Nathan Kwame Nkrumah, who claims to be a son of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, has sued the Convention People’s Party (CPP), in an attempt to put an injunction on its presidential primaries scheduled for the weekend starting Friday January 29.

Mr Nkrumah was disqualified from taking part in the race with the reason that he issued a dud cheque in paying for his nomination forms, according to General Secretary Nii Armah Akomfrah.

However, Mr Nkrumah and his assigns have claimed the leadership of the party connived with Samia Nkrumah, one of the four contesting flagbearer-aspirants, to muscle him out of the race without justifiable reason.

He is, therefore, seeking the following reliefs in court:

1. An order for a declaration that his inability to file his presidential nomination forms was wrongfully caused by the party.

2. An order to compel the party to accept his nomination fee and to allow him to contest the presidential primaries at an extended date beyond six weeks from the filing of nominations.

3. In the alternative, an order to set aside the outcome of the presidential congress slated for the weekend on grounds that “it is in breach of the party’s constitution.”

4. General damages for breach of his rights by “wrongfully aborting his desire to file his nomination forms”

5. Costs including damages.

The case was filed at the Human Rights Court in Accra and the writ has been served on the party, according to ClassFMonline.com’s sources close to Mr Nkrumah.

Apart from Samia, the other three flagbearer-aspirants are former General Secretary Ivor Greenstreet, legal practitioner Bright Akwetey, and Joseph Agyapong. The party held its novel flagbearer-aspirants’ debate on Wednesday January 27.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com/91.3fm

EC workers to lay down tools over low salaries

The Workers Union and the Senior Staff Association of the Electoral Commission (EC) are planning a sit down strike to protest their low salary levels and poor conditions of service.

According to them, all attempts to get these issues resolved have proved futile.

The workers in their resolutions, addressed to the Chairperson of the Commission, Charlotte Osei, after a crunch meeting on Thursday said barring any intervention, they will begin the sit-down strike on February 15, 2016 and proceed on a full blown strike on February 22, 2016.

Below is the full statement:

THE CHAIRPERSON
ELECTORAL COMMISSION
HEAD OFFICE
ACCRA

RESOLUTION OF THE DIVISIONAL UNION AND THE SENIOR STAFF ASSOCIATION OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION AT A JOINT EMERGENCY MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY’ 19TH JANUARY, 2016 AT THE HEAD OFFICE, ACCRA

We the undersigned and leaders of the Union and the Senior Staff Association, on behalf of the entire staff,

Having met on Tuesday, 19th January, 2016, at the Head office and dispassionately and thoughtfully considered and dilated our conditions of service in general, but with special emphasis on the low salary levels.

Noting that, all avenues for resolution have been exhausted.

Realizing that all salary negotiations undertaken with the relevant institutions and authorities since 2012 have yielded no resolution,

Realizing that the payments of allowances after every salary negotiation are but only window dressing of the real problem, Mindful of our economic and social security as employees after retirement.

Determined to build for ourselves and our families through all legal and legitimate means a happy, comfortable and restful future and not depending on families and relations.

Believing that our humble and meek posture in all negotiations have been taken to be a weakness and thus not taken serious, pledging to conduct our affairs within the constitutional prescription, and ln the exercise of our constitutional right as employees;

Do hereby resolve and be unequivocally be resolved that:

a) On the 8th of February, 2016, the entire staff of the Electoral Commission will raise red flags in all Commission’s establishments and vehicles as a sign of our dissatisfaction and aversion of the state of affairs

b) On 15th February, 2016, the entire staff will embark on a sit-down strike, and
c) On 22nd February, 2016, a full blown strike will be embarked upon by the entire staff. We write this to bring to your notice and attention this roadmap of our intended actions.
Thank you.
–
By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/ citifmonline.com/Ghana

#Ghana2016: Samia likely to collaborate with Nduom on NPP alliance – Ephson

Samia Nkrumah is more likely to join forces with Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to collaborate with the leading opposition New Patriotic Party ahead of this year’s elections, Pollster, Ben Ephson has predicted.

“I suspect that going forward there is going to be a major collaboration…If Samia wins the CPP Presidential candidate she may collaborate with Dr. Nduom to go to the negotiation table with NPP”

Ephson intimated that Samia has been politically closer to PPP, hence he foresees a possible alliance between her[Samia] and former flagbearer of the CPP, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom in her bid to make inroads into the upcoming polls.

In an interaction with Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.3 FM Ephson echoed that the best way for the CPP to make an impact was to allow for a first round collaboration in exchange of seats.

The party is struggling to yet position itself to win back power since the overthrow of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, CPP founder and first President of Ghana in 1966.

Meanwhile the CPP has set Saturday January 30, 2016 for its presidential primaries.

Source: kasapafmonline.com