We Took Gh¢42K From Journalists - EC Boss

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Charlotte Osei, has disclosed that her outfit collected a total amount of GH¢42,710 as proceeds from the sale of media accreditation for the 2016 General Elections.

She made the disclosure when she appeared before Parliament to brief the House on the total amount collected from media representatives for covering the elections.

She was also asked to brief the members of Parliament (MPs) on the replacement for lost/misplaced voter's ID cards, and how the proceeds had been applied.

Yesterday, the Lady Chairperson, accompanied by her Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Mr. Amadu Sulley, and other officials of the EC, heeded the summons of the August House to respond to the query.

According to the EC Chair, the Commission received a total of 4,271 applications from media houses, out of which each applicant was charged GH¢10.

She further told the House that the Commission paid GH¢42,713 for the printing of the accreditation cards.

The Commission received countless backlashes from Ghanaians, particularly journalists, for its decision to charge a fee for the accreditation cards.

Senior journalists, including Kwame Sefa Kayi, host of Accra Based Peace FM's Kokrokoo programme, took the EC on at a forum organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa, where he told the EC to do something about the decision.

Other journalists in the country also raised similar concerns, but the EC would not rescind its decision.

The EC boss, however, justified the fees imposed on the journalists, contending that it was backed by law. "Our filing fees and other fees charged are backed by law," she said.

Mrs Charlotte Osei further continued that charging journalists for accreditation was not the first time, remarking that "it is for their protection."

She further told the House that the media accreditations also showed that the media was part of the elections.

Commenting on the replacement of lost/misplaced voter ID cards, Mrs Charlotte Osei told Parliament that the total money collected for replacement of voter ID cards was GH¢2,590,080.47.

"From my checks, we recorded over 518,000 applicants for lost/misplaced voter ID cards," adding that: "The money is in our account and hasn't been transferred to the Consolidated Fund."

Again, on how the services of card printers were procured, she responded: "I'll have to check the records and come back."

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