NDC also rejected Commission recommendations – Dep. Chief of Staff equalizes

Government has defended its rejection of several parts of a Commission report into electoral violence, explaining dismissing recommendations or findings is not new practice.

Deputy Chief of Staff Abu Jinapor said on Saturday that, the previous administration of the Mahama government also rejected “substantial portions” of the Dzamefe Commission into Ghana’s World Cup fiasco in Brazil in 2014.

Government has been criticized over its response to the Emile Short Commission report which investigated the violence that characterised the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in January 31, 2019.

Government has said the Commission failed to present a full and impartial work as required by its terms of reference.

It has been estimated that at least 58.9% of the report was rejected by the government which released its White Paper on the report as prescribed by law.

The government response contained in the White Paper justified assault on the opposition MP with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP by a National Security operative during the by-election.

It also rejected recommendations to prosecute another national security operative or remove a SWAT Commander at the National Security Council Secretariat or disband the SWAT team.

Government also rejected a recommendation to reprimand a Colonel Mike Opoku who is at the National Security Council Secretariat.

It will also not reprimand a minister of state Byran Acheampong who were blamed for the security failures.

But speaking on Saturday, the Deputy Chief of Staff pointed out that government is not obliged by law to accept reports of Commissions of Inquiry in its entirety.

He said in the case of the Dzamefe Commission, he has found that huge aspects of the recommendations were rejected by the NDC government including a recommendation to have the former Youth and Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah refund some monies.

He also mentioned the Wuako Commission of Inquiry which investigated the Dagbon crisis in which the Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na, Yakubu Andani II was murdered in 2002.