You have no asset register, why should we trust you to protect votes? – Ablakwa jabs EC

The Electoral Commission of Ghana does not have an asset register, which is a basic document meant to capture and record its assets across the country, a sitting lawmaker has disclosed.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament representing the people of North Tongu in a social media post dated July 11, 2022; stressed that the EC by their action were all but eroding public confidence in their core mandate of protecting votes.

Ablakwa described as ‘scandalous’ the fact that despite the amount of taxpayer and donor funds pumped into the EC, it did not have a basic document as an asset register.

“It is equally scandalous that despite receiving billions of taxpayer and donor funds over the years, the Commission doesn’t have an Asset Register to capture and record its extensive assets across the country such as landed properties, office premises, guest houses, residential accommodations, motor vehicles, office equipment, computers and accessories, furniture and fittings, etc.”

He asked how the EC expected to be trusted with preserving the sanctity of votes yet it had failed to keep an asset register.

“You can’t keep proper records of what we buy for you but somehow you expect us to trust you to preserve the sanctity of our votes, both of which remain under your supervision.

“We must always remember that trust and public confidence in our institutions and public officials are earned, and when they are eroded or absent, the consequences for our democratic stability are dire,” his post concluded.

Ablakwa also disclosed that some 21 top officials of the Commission had failed to submit statutory returns relating to their positions citing an Auditor General’s report.

“Who are these mysterious 21 top management staff and why were they allowed to violate Article 9 (1) of the Commission’s Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of 2018 which states: “Every employee will be required to give particulars about himself/herself on the STANDARD FORM (called PERSONAL RECORDS), which shall be inserted on his/her personal file?”