A Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in-charge of Operations, Amadu Sulley, has accused the media of unfair reportage over the commission’s yet to be unveiled new logo.
According to him, the commission is yet to unveil the logo at which event explanations would be given for it, and so it was wrong for the media to be misinforming the public.
The EC last week announced that it will soon launch a new logo in its bid to re-brand. The new logo, a blue rounded crest with patches of white, yellow, red and green, has been described by critics as childish and inappropriate because it does not reflect the work of the commission.
The current Logo has a black star in between two eagles at both sides of a shield, with a hand in the middle casting a ballot, which gives one an idea of what the Commission does. It also has the inscription ‘Transparency, Fairness, Integrity. The new one however has none of these features. Media should not have focused on Logo But speaking on Citi Eyewitness News, Mr. Sulley argued that the negative narrative surrounding the new logo were being fueled by unfair media reportage.
He explained that at the capacity building workshop for journalists on election coverage, the issue of the logo came up where he explained that details would be given when the launch eventually takes place. Mr. Sulley had said at the event that the logo was only an intention and that it was yet to be approved. But it later emerged that the EC was already using the new logo for its official purposes.
But when he was asked to explain the contradictions, Mr. Sulley rather took on the media for what he calls unfair reportage. “I did indicate that the EC is yet to launch the logo and when we have launched the logo, we will then be in the position to explain and give meaning to what that logo is. When some of my commission members read what was coming from the media, they drew my attention and I said this is unfortunate, this is misinformation and spinning.”
No fears over legal action A Private legal Practitioner and lecturer at the University of Ghana School of law, Dr. Poku Adusei, has since said the new logo exposes the Commission and Ghana to a protracted legal battle if it is found to have been unlawfully copied from another entity. Mr. Sulley however said he is confident the EC did it necessary checks and operated within the law in choosing the new logo.
“When we get to the bridge, we shall cross. These are legal issues drawing all this attention and I know the commissioner will not rush into that, do something that is not legal because we operate within the laws. All these checks will be done by the commission before we launch because I know the commission will not launch something that we know that somebody will take us on and bring a legal issue to us.” He further assured that the EC will perform “due diligence” before finally launching the logo.
“I want to assure you that we will not go into launching without due diligence… I know the commission will do due diligence before we come out to say finally, this is the thing and we will ensure if you take us on, you are going to lose.”
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