Wuogon Probe: “We’ll be impartial, fair” – Commission

The three-member Commission of Inquiry set up by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to probe the violence that marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in the Greater Accra Region, has promised to carry out its one-month probe transparently, objectively and fairly.

The Commission has Mr Justice Emile Short, a former boss of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) as Chairman, with Professor Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, a legal expert and Mr Patrick K. Acheampong, a former IGP, as members.

A former Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), who is also a private legal practitioner, Mr Ernest Kofi Abotsi, is the Secretary to the Commission.

Speaking on behalf of the Commission at a brief swearing-in ceremony at the Jubilee House on Friday, 8 February 2019, Justice Short said the Commission will be impartial in its work.

He said: “On behalf of the members of the Commission and the Executive Secretary, we’ll like to express our appreciation and gratitude to His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and to you [Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia] for giving us this opportunity to serve the nation.

“We consider this to be an extremely important assignment. I’ll also like to express my appreciation for the words of confidence you have expressed in us, particularly your statement that we have been selected because we are considered to be men and women of integrity. We’ll like to assure all and sundry that we shall carry out mandate transparently, objectively and in a fair manner, and I will like to urge all and sundry to give us all the support that we’ll need so that we can find a credible and lasting solution to the phenomenon of electoral violence and vigilante groups”.

Vice President Bawumia further challenged the Commission to work with diligence.

He said: “As you’re all aware, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo decided that in the public interest, this Commission of Inquiry be established so that they will undertake a true, faithful and impartial enquiry into the incident that occurred during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

“In doing this, the President had to look for people with impeccable integrity and this is the reason the membership of the Commission is as it is. I don’t think anyone can really question the integrity of the people here constituting the Commission. All the necessary logistic arrangement will be provided to ensure that your work proceeds impartially.”