The Controller and Accountant General facing lawsuit

Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for the South Dayi constituency in the Volta Region, has initiated legal action against Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, the Controller and Accountant General of the Republic. This move follows Mr. Kwaning-Bosompem’s decision to participate in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary primary for Akim Swedru in the Eastern Region.

Facing competition from Kennedy Osei Nyarko and Jerome Kwame Akodo, the incumbent MP for Akim Swedru, Mr. Kwaning-Bosompem’s candidacy has stirred controversy. Various political figures, pundits, and organizations, including the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), have called for his resignation from the Controller and Accountant General role.

In a statement of claim filed with the court, Dafeamekpor seeks an order preventing Mr. Kwaning-Bosompem from representing himself as the Controller and Accountant General while participating in the NPP parliamentary primary. The claim alleges that Mr. Kwaning-Bosompem has not resigned from his position and officially submitted his nomination form for the NPP primaries on December 20, 2023.

Dafeamekpor argues that civil servants are entitled to their political views and voting rights but must resign if they intend to contest in any political activity. The legal action seeks seven reliefs, including a declaration that a civil servant cannot participate in a political party’s parliamentary primaries while holding the position, an injunction preventing Mr. Kwaning-Bosompem from representing himself as the Controller and Accountant General during his candidacy, and an order mandating his resignation if he chooses to run in the NPP parliamentary primary on January 27, 2024