Financial economist and academic Dr Razak Kojo Opoku has urged the newly appointed deputy chairpersons of the Electoral Commission (EC) to work with Chairperson Jean Mensa and other commissioners to resolve the reported eight-year vacancy in the position of Director of Finance at the Commission’s headquarters.
Dr Opoku said filling the position with a suitably qualified candidate would help strengthen corporate governance and improve financial administration within the electoral management body.
In a statement addressing the issue, he noted that the position had remained vacant for eight years, raising concerns about the prolonged delay in appointing a substantive director to oversee the Commission’s financial operations.
According to him, the EC advertised the position on June 10, 2026, with the application process closing on June 25, 2026.
However, the recruitment process reportedly encountered opposition from the EC Staff Union, which petitioned the Commission’s Chairperson, Jean Mensa, in July 2026 to suspend the process for recruiting a new Director of Finance.
The petition, as described by Dr Opoku, called for an immediate halt to the recruitment exercise.
He further alleged that Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, the former Director of Finance, was forced out of the position following Jean Mensa’s assumption of office as EC Chairperson, resulting in the vacancy that has persisted for eight years.
Dr Opoku has thus appealed to the new deputy chairpersons to collaborate with Jean Mensa and the other commissioners to identify and appoint a suitable candidate to occupy the position.
He has maintained that resolving the matter should be a priority for the Commission’s leadership, particularly in view of the importance of sound financial management and institutional accountability in the administration of public resources.
The financial economist emphasised the need for cooperation among the commissioners to ensure that the recruitment process produces a candidate capable of meeting the Commission’s financial management requirements.
His appeal comes amid the reported dispute over the recruitment process, following the staff union’s petition seeking its suspension.
The prolonged vacancy has drawn attention to the importance of filling key administrative positions within public institutions to support effective management and accountability.
A substantive Director of Finance is expected to play an important role in financial planning, budgeting, expenditure management, financial reporting and internal financial controls, subject to the institution’s organisational structure and applicable regulations.
Dr Opoku believes that appointing a suitable candidate would be consistent with good corporate governance practices and help address the leadership gap in the Commission’s finance department.
The Electoral Commission is responsible for organising and supervising public elections in Ghana, making effective financial administration an important component of its institutional operations.
However, any appointment to a senior financial position must also follow the relevant recruitment procedures and take into account legitimate institutional concerns raised during the process.
The dispute raises questions about the reasons for the extended vacancy, the circumstances surrounding the departure of the former Director of Finance, and the concerns that informed the EC Staff Union’s petition.
Clarification from the Electoral Commission on the status of the recruitment exercise and the issues raised by the staff union would help provide a fuller picture of the matter.
For now, Dr Opoku is calling on the Commission’s leadership to work together to resolve the situation and appoint a qualified person to the position in the interest of effective financial administration and good corporate governance.
By 1960news.com
