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Limited Voter Registration Exercise: EC actually taking steps to stop people from registering – Kofi Bentil
Lawyer and Senior Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Kofi Bentil says the actions of the Electoral Commission (EC) in the ongoing voter registration is to disfranchise a lot of Ghanaians.
According to him, the EC is constitutionally obligated to expand and execute specific programs and has the necessary resources to do so.
Mr. Bentil explained that any deviation from this constitutional mandate could lead to the removal of the Electoral Commissioners from their positions.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Bentil clarified that the issue is not merely about neglecting responsibilities; but it’s also about actively obstructing people’s right to register.
“In omission and commission, it’s not a matter of just omitting, like they are not doing anything, the suggestion is that there will be problems with people exercising their rights to register.”
According to him, the primary purpose of the EC is to address obstacles and facilitate the voter registration process, therefore, they should proactively implement measures to enhance the voter registration exercise.
“The EC was set up to take away those problems, clear the way and create situations that will enable people to register. So they should actually do things, commit actions that will expand registration,” he said.
Mr Bentil maintained that “in this case, if you are not doing it at all, then you are omitting to do your job but as far as I’m concerned, they are actually taking steps, committing actions to stop people from registering which is directly against what they are to do.”
He criticised the utilisation of state resources to undermine public policy objectives, saying “We should all be minded when we do some of these things.”
The IMANI-Africa Vice President’s assertion comes after the EC announced that the voter registration exercise would only take place at its district offices across the country.
However, this decision has not received the support of many political parties.
The National Democratic Congress and four other political parties on Thursday, September 7 sued the EC over its insistence on conducting the 2023 limited voter registration exercise at its district offices.
The suit was joined by the Convention People’s Party, All People’s Congress, Liberal Party of Ghana and the Great Consolidated Popular Party who said the decision would disenfranchise many eligible voters.
They, thus, ask the Supreme Court to prevent the electoral management body from proceeding with the exercise pending the final determination of the substantive matter.
Source:Myjoyonline.com
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
