Conduct 2024 elections in free, fair manner - Dormaahene charges EC

Biiya Mukusah Ali Politics Sep - 12 - 2024 , 09:57

The President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, has appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC) to be neutral in the conduct of the December 7 general election.

"I'm calling for a free, fair and transparent election. I urge the EC to be neutral and fair to all candidates," he said.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu, who is also the Dormaahene, made the appeal when the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, paid a courtesy call on the House in Sunyani on Monday as part of his four-day campaign tour of the region.

Cheating

He urged the EC not to cheat on any candidate in the contest to avoid any election petition and violence.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu said peace could only prevail in the December 7 general election if the EC conducted the election in a free, fair and transparent manner.

He urged the EC to work hard to resolve all issues surrounding the voter register, particularly issues raised by the NDC on the voter transfer to certify all parties.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu urged the commission to speed up all the electoral processes to satisfy all parties involved in the elections.

He expressed concern about the outcome and violence that characterised the Techiman South Constituency election during the 2020 general election.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu said he could not understand why there were gunshots at the Collation Centre, which resulted in deaths.

"In this year's election, I'm appealing to the EC and the police not to allow such incidents to happen again. We don't want any soul to perish in the upcoming election.

"I Osagyefo Agyemang Badu will put my work aside and go to court to face whoever shoots someone during this year's election," he said.

He appealed to all candidates to comply with the electoral processes to prevent violence. Osagyefo Agyemang Badu charged traditional leaders to tell politicians the truth when they visited them in their palaces.

Galamsey

On galamsey, he gave the government a one-month ultimatum to stop illegal mining activities, explaining that the government had resources and logistics to fight the menace.

"If the government fails to stop them from destroying the lands, the chiefs will seize the land from the government and when that happens, we will never give them back to the government because the lands belong to the chiefs.

"It baffled me that the government cannot use the security agencies to fight galamsey in the country," he said.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu said activities of illegal miners (galamseyers) had destroyed water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands.

He said the practice had several consequences on the health of Ghanaians, particularly lactating mothers and their babies.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu advised all the presidential candidates to accept criticism if they were elected.