We need Jean Mensa, not you – Special Budget Cttee to Bossman Asare, other EC officials

On Monday December 13 two deputy chairs at the Electoral Commission (EC) Dr Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey, were prevented from attending a meeting with Parliament’s Special Budget Committee.

This was after they could not explain the absence of the Chair of the elections management body, Jean Mensa who was expected to show up.

A member of the Committee, Ahmed Ibrahim, told journalists that Mrs Mensa had gained notoriety for not appearing before parliament hence the committee’s inability to allow the two deputies to represent her.

The meeting was to consider the 2022 budget estimates of the Electoral Commission.

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim said “Because this is the only Committee that oversights all the constitutional bodies. All the other constitutional bodies have been here by their chairpersons and chief executive officers. So it will not be fair to them.

“And this is not the first time you know when we went to rock city to do the mid-year budget performance review, she could not come; her deputies arrived. We listened to them.

“So we were with the view that when we come for the budget hearing, she will come. So it was unfortunate that she was not here. But there are serious constitutional issues that would be raised in the budget hearing,” he said.