Story: Michael Donkor, Nsawam
FACILITIES at the female ward of the Nsawam medium security prisons are overstretched, exposing the inmates to health hazards, an Assistant Director of Prisons in charge of the ward, Araba Magnusen, has disclosed.
She said for instance that there were not enough mattresses for the inmates.
She said as a result of this situation some of the inmates were being compelled to sleep on the floor.
Madam Magnusen disclosed this to the Daily Graphic during a presentation of 30 bags of rice by TV 3 to the Female Ward at Nsawam last Friday.
She has, therefore, appealed to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other philanthropists to go to their aid.
Madam Magnusen said currently there were 132 inmates made up of 96 convicts, 25 remand prisoners, six who were serving life sentence and two who were on trial, while three were condemned prisoners being kept at the ward for various offences.
She said the remand prisoners were made to sleep on the floor due to lack of mattresses.
Madam Magnusen said the President’s Special Initiative on Distance Learning at the ward had also suffered a setback, since there were only two computers for the inmates to use.
The country’s prisons authority, during the last quarter of 2008, called on the government to rehabilitate the prisons and equip them with facilities that would enable them to achieve their objective of rehabilitation and reformation of inmates.
Presenting the items, the Public Relations Manager of TV3, Madam Janet Carboo-Danquah, said the donation was in line with the company’s objective to support needy institutions like the prisons.
She gave the assurance that the company would continue to support them.
Madam Carboo-Danquah said TV3 had now been listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange.
She said by the end of this year, TV3’s transmission would cover the entire country.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Military reconstitute investigative team(Page 3) February 16, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Military High Command has reconstituted the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate alleged irregularities that characterised the recruitment of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Consequently, the command has issued a new Convening Order signed by the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brig-Gen R. Winful, with reference number GHQ/1002/13/COS.
The new order excludes Lt Col R.S. Nyaka, whose membership caused a stir at the first sitting of the board, forcing it to suspend proceedings.
That was after Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd), lead counsel for Col Kojo Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, had challenged the composition of the board and raised objection to the membership of Lt Col Nyaka during the sitting.
Col Damoah was the Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration (DMP) of the GAF but he was relieved of his position at the weekend and re-posted to the Army Headquarters without any portfolio.
The letter transferring Col Damoah was signed by the Military Secretary, Commodore T.S. Appiah, and issued to all the Service, Formation and Unit Commanders of the GAF.
No reason was assigned for his removal.
The letter named Col T.N. Ba-Taa-Banah as the new DMP of the GAF.
The recomposed BOI now has Col B. Musah as its President, while Col S. Odoi-Gyampo of the General Headquarters of the GAF; Lt Col J. Hagan of the Army Headquarters and Lt Col T. Ampofo-Gyekye, a Defence Intelligence Officer at the General Headquarters, as its members.
It has Lt Col R. Adwini of the General Headquarters of the GAF as its Secretary.
The order said the board might co-opt any other person(s) it might consider necessary for its work.
It said its terms of reference were to determine whether the proper procedures were followed in the selection of the potential recruits, whether the bids for the various services, corps and units were met and whether the requirement of regional balance as prescribed by existing policy was satisfied.
It said the board would also determine whether the list of 420 potential recruits selected for training had been infiltrated by unqualified persons and if so the extent of infiltration, as well as any other matters of relevance to the whole recruitment exercise.
The letter said the board should record its findings and opinions and make specific recommendations, while all evidence would be taken on oath and recorded.
The witnesses to appear before the board are Air Commodore C.E.K. Dovlo, the Director-General of Personnel Administration of the GAF; Col Damoah, Lt Col R.A. Gyane of the Army Headquarters; Lt Commander E.O. Nyarko and Dr P.G. Agbenohevi, both of the 37 Military Hospital, and Major J. Vander-Pallen of the Records Department at the General Headquarters of the GAF.
THE Military High Command has reconstituted the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate alleged irregularities that characterised the recruitment of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Consequently, the command has issued a new Convening Order signed by the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brig-Gen R. Winful, with reference number GHQ/1002/13/COS.
The new order excludes Lt Col R.S. Nyaka, whose membership caused a stir at the first sitting of the board, forcing it to suspend proceedings.
That was after Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd), lead counsel for Col Kojo Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, had challenged the composition of the board and raised objection to the membership of Lt Col Nyaka during the sitting.
Col Damoah was the Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration (DMP) of the GAF but he was relieved of his position at the weekend and re-posted to the Army Headquarters without any portfolio.
The letter transferring Col Damoah was signed by the Military Secretary, Commodore T.S. Appiah, and issued to all the Service, Formation and Unit Commanders of the GAF.
No reason was assigned for his removal.
The letter named Col T.N. Ba-Taa-Banah as the new DMP of the GAF.
The recomposed BOI now has Col B. Musah as its President, while Col S. Odoi-Gyampo of the General Headquarters of the GAF; Lt Col J. Hagan of the Army Headquarters and Lt Col T. Ampofo-Gyekye, a Defence Intelligence Officer at the General Headquarters, as its members.
It has Lt Col R. Adwini of the General Headquarters of the GAF as its Secretary.
The order said the board might co-opt any other person(s) it might consider necessary for its work.
It said its terms of reference were to determine whether the proper procedures were followed in the selection of the potential recruits, whether the bids for the various services, corps and units were met and whether the requirement of regional balance as prescribed by existing policy was satisfied.
It said the board would also determine whether the list of 420 potential recruits selected for training had been infiltrated by unqualified persons and if so the extent of infiltration, as well as any other matters of relevance to the whole recruitment exercise.
The letter said the board should record its findings and opinions and make specific recommendations, while all evidence would be taken on oath and recorded.
The witnesses to appear before the board are Air Commodore C.E.K. Dovlo, the Director-General of Personnel Administration of the GAF; Col Damoah, Lt Col R.A. Gyane of the Army Headquarters; Lt Commander E.O. Nyarko and Dr P.G. Agbenohevi, both of the 37 Military Hospital, and Major J. Vander-Pallen of the Records Department at the General Headquarters of the GAF.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Illegal chain saw operators destroying forest resources(centre spread) February 9, 2009
Story:Michael Donkor
ACTIVITIES of illegal chain -saw operators are destroying the country’s forest at an alarming rate causing the government to lose millions of Ghana cedis.
The Forestry Commission (FC), has therefore appealed to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to provide them with soldiers to check illegal lumbering.
A letter written and signed by the Head of Operations of the Forestry Commission, Mr A.A Boadu, to the Ghana Armed Forces, which was sighted by the Daily Graphic said “following the suspension of the National Task Force Team, which undertook an exercise code named; ‘Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering, the chain saw operators have had a field day and were plundering the country’s forests”.
Among the areas that illegal lumbering was being done included the natural high forest zones in the south-western and southern regions of the country.
The letter said these operators were normally armed to the teeth and carried out most of their activities in the night.
It also said their officers were helpless without the presence of the military.
It, therefore, appealed to the military to provide the Forestry Commission with security to effectively check illegal lumbering.
The military and officials of the Forestry Commission formed a task force somewhere last year, known as “Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering but the soldiers were called for other duties on December 24, 2008, during the general election which resulted in its collapse.
When the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, Brig-Gen. Emmanuel Okyere, was contacted, he confirmed that the operation had been suspended because the personnel were needed to beef up security and peace during the December general elections.
Brig-Gen. Okyere said now that the elections were over and the Forestry Commission was requesting for the operation to be started, their request would be forwarded to the army headquarters for action.
He explained that the Forestry Commission was responsible for the cost of operations and that once they were prepared to start the operations the military would work that.
ACTIVITIES of illegal chain -saw operators are destroying the country’s forest at an alarming rate causing the government to lose millions of Ghana cedis.
The Forestry Commission (FC), has therefore appealed to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to provide them with soldiers to check illegal lumbering.
A letter written and signed by the Head of Operations of the Forestry Commission, Mr A.A Boadu, to the Ghana Armed Forces, which was sighted by the Daily Graphic said “following the suspension of the National Task Force Team, which undertook an exercise code named; ‘Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering, the chain saw operators have had a field day and were plundering the country’s forests”.
Among the areas that illegal lumbering was being done included the natural high forest zones in the south-western and southern regions of the country.
The letter said these operators were normally armed to the teeth and carried out most of their activities in the night.
It also said their officers were helpless without the presence of the military.
It, therefore, appealed to the military to provide the Forestry Commission with security to effectively check illegal lumbering.
The military and officials of the Forestry Commission formed a task force somewhere last year, known as “Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering but the soldiers were called for other duties on December 24, 2008, during the general election which resulted in its collapse.
When the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, Brig-Gen. Emmanuel Okyere, was contacted, he confirmed that the operation had been suspended because the personnel were needed to beef up security and peace during the December general elections.
Brig-Gen. Okyere said now that the elections were over and the Forestry Commission was requesting for the operation to be started, their request would be forwarded to the army headquarters for action.
He explained that the Forestry Commission was responsible for the cost of operations and that once they were prepared to start the operations the military would work that.
Capt Effah-Dartey challenges composition of board(Centre Spread) February 13, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
CAPTAIN Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd) has raised objections to the composition of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate the alleged malfeasance characterising the recruitment of the first batch of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Capt Effah-Dartey, who is the lead counsel for the Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration (DMP) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Col Kojo Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, raised the objection at the first sitting of the board at Burma Camp in Accra yesterday.
Consequently, he tendered in a 17-point petition on behalf of his client to the Chief of Staff of the GAF, Brig-Gen R. Winful, who set up the BOI, through the president of the board and called for the board’s recomposition.
Sitting was, therefore, suspended for the petition to be carefully studied.
The objection centred on the membership of Lt Col R. S. Nyaka of the Army Headquarters on the grounds that he was a member of the subcommittee charged with the recruitment of Army sports personnel.
Col Damoah, in his submission to the board, said Lt Col Nyaka had demonstrated special interest in his (Damoah’s) appointment as DMP and shown malicious bias against him in advance before the convening of the board.
He said Lt Col Nyaka was a member of the subcommittee set up by the Director-General of Training at the General Headquarters to co-ordinate the recruitment of quality sportsmen and women for the GAF.
Col Damoah said by that position, Lt Col Nyaka became part of the recruitment process and had been deeply involved in the 2008 recruitment exercise.
He explained that it was the subcommittee on sports that had been charged with the responsibility of recruiting the best 30 sports persons for each of the three arms of the GAF, which comprised the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
He said Lt Col Nyaka was reported to have told Lt Col J. H. K. Buntuguh of the GAF some time in January, 2009 to stop forwarding the names of recommended sportsmen and women to the DMP for consideration in the selection of the 2008 first batch of potential recruits for training at the Armed Forces Recruits Training School (AFRTS).
He told the board that Lt Col Nyaka was alleged to have intimated to Lt Col Buntuguh that the training of the 2008 first batch of potential Army recruits would be suspended, as a BOI would be instituted against Col Damoah for recruitment malpractice to pave the way for his eventual removal from the appointment.
He said the fact that Lt Col Nyaka made those statements to Lt Col Buntuguh and predicted that there would be a BOI as a prelude to his (Col Damoah’s) removal to pave the way for his (Lt Col Nyaka’s) appointment as DMP made him an interested party in the case.
On the other related matters, Col Damoah stated that Paragraph 1 (B) of the convening order of the BOI contained very serious factual errors which would be of material relevance to some of the proceedings and findings of the board.
He said that paragraph contained an erroneous impression that the 2008 general recruitment exercise had been conducted in July 2008 when the general screening had actually been conducted in March 2008.
He said 2008 was the only year that the general recruitment exercise had not been conducted in July.
Col Damoah said additionally, paragraph one of the convening order indicated that 420 potential Army recruits were to commence training at the AFRTS, instead of the Army Recruits Training School (ARTS).
He added that the same paragraph stated that the training of the potential Army recruits was to commence on January 15, 2009 when in fact the letter was dated January 23, 2009, eight clear days after the purported training had commenced.
He said it was not for nothing that January 15, 2009 was featured in the Convening Order of the BOI and added that it held one of the keys to the conspiracy to use a BOI, whose outcome was already predetermined, to achieve political and ethnic objectives.
He said the date for the commencement of the training on the letters given to the potential Army recruits was January 31, 2009 and not January 15, 2009.
Col Damoah quoted Article 33(5) of the 1992 Constitution which provided that the rights, duties, declarations and guarantees relating to the fundamental human rights and freedoms specifically mentioned in Chapter Five shall not be regarded as excluding others not specifically mentioned which are considered inherent in a democracy and intended to secure the freedom and dignity of man.
He said consequently, the composition of a BOI could adversely affect the fundamental human rights of a witness or a person under investigation if, on the balance of probabilities, a reasonable mind could conclude that there was the likelihood of prejudice or bias against or in favour of a witness or a person under investigation.
CAPTAIN Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd) has raised objections to the composition of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate the alleged malfeasance characterising the recruitment of the first batch of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Capt Effah-Dartey, who is the lead counsel for the Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration (DMP) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Col Kojo Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, raised the objection at the first sitting of the board at Burma Camp in Accra yesterday.
Consequently, he tendered in a 17-point petition on behalf of his client to the Chief of Staff of the GAF, Brig-Gen R. Winful, who set up the BOI, through the president of the board and called for the board’s recomposition.
Sitting was, therefore, suspended for the petition to be carefully studied.
The objection centred on the membership of Lt Col R. S. Nyaka of the Army Headquarters on the grounds that he was a member of the subcommittee charged with the recruitment of Army sports personnel.
Col Damoah, in his submission to the board, said Lt Col Nyaka had demonstrated special interest in his (Damoah’s) appointment as DMP and shown malicious bias against him in advance before the convening of the board.
He said Lt Col Nyaka was a member of the subcommittee set up by the Director-General of Training at the General Headquarters to co-ordinate the recruitment of quality sportsmen and women for the GAF.
Col Damoah said by that position, Lt Col Nyaka became part of the recruitment process and had been deeply involved in the 2008 recruitment exercise.
He explained that it was the subcommittee on sports that had been charged with the responsibility of recruiting the best 30 sports persons for each of the three arms of the GAF, which comprised the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
He said Lt Col Nyaka was reported to have told Lt Col J. H. K. Buntuguh of the GAF some time in January, 2009 to stop forwarding the names of recommended sportsmen and women to the DMP for consideration in the selection of the 2008 first batch of potential recruits for training at the Armed Forces Recruits Training School (AFRTS).
He told the board that Lt Col Nyaka was alleged to have intimated to Lt Col Buntuguh that the training of the 2008 first batch of potential Army recruits would be suspended, as a BOI would be instituted against Col Damoah for recruitment malpractice to pave the way for his eventual removal from the appointment.
He said the fact that Lt Col Nyaka made those statements to Lt Col Buntuguh and predicted that there would be a BOI as a prelude to his (Col Damoah’s) removal to pave the way for his (Lt Col Nyaka’s) appointment as DMP made him an interested party in the case.
On the other related matters, Col Damoah stated that Paragraph 1 (B) of the convening order of the BOI contained very serious factual errors which would be of material relevance to some of the proceedings and findings of the board.
He said that paragraph contained an erroneous impression that the 2008 general recruitment exercise had been conducted in July 2008 when the general screening had actually been conducted in March 2008.
He said 2008 was the only year that the general recruitment exercise had not been conducted in July.
Col Damoah said additionally, paragraph one of the convening order indicated that 420 potential Army recruits were to commence training at the AFRTS, instead of the Army Recruits Training School (ARTS).
He added that the same paragraph stated that the training of the potential Army recruits was to commence on January 15, 2009 when in fact the letter was dated January 23, 2009, eight clear days after the purported training had commenced.
He said it was not for nothing that January 15, 2009 was featured in the Convening Order of the BOI and added that it held one of the keys to the conspiracy to use a BOI, whose outcome was already predetermined, to achieve political and ethnic objectives.
He said the date for the commencement of the training on the letters given to the potential Army recruits was January 31, 2009 and not January 15, 2009.
Col Damoah quoted Article 33(5) of the 1992 Constitution which provided that the rights, duties, declarations and guarantees relating to the fundamental human rights and freedoms specifically mentioned in Chapter Five shall not be regarded as excluding others not specifically mentioned which are considered inherent in a democracy and intended to secure the freedom and dignity of man.
He said consequently, the composition of a BOI could adversely affect the fundamental human rights of a witness or a person under investigation if, on the balance of probabilities, a reasonable mind could conclude that there was the likelihood of prejudice or bias against or in favour of a witness or a person under investigation.
Freeze on Land Transfer(front page) February 12, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE process of transferring government lands which have been reallocated by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to private developers has been suspended with immediate effect.
Letters to that effect, signed on behalf of the Chief of Staff by the Chief Director at the Office of the President, Mr L. B. Tusoe, have been dispatched to the relevant agencies which deal with government lands.
The heads of the relevant agencies which have been served with copies of the letter include the Chief Registrar, Land Title Registry; the Executive Secretary, Land Valuation Board; the Director of Surveys, the Survey Department; the Director, the Geological Survey Department; the Executive Director, the Wildlife Division, and the Director of Mines.
The letter, with reference number SCR/A.26/38, said any violation of the directive would attract severe sanctions.
The Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Alhaji H. I. Baryeh, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the commission had received a copy of the letter and explained that by the directive, issuance of allocations and execution of leases relating to specific government land holdings had been frozen.
He said some of the lands, which he said were strategic, were at Cantonments, Ridge and Roman Ridge, all in Accra.
He said the directive also applied to strategic government lands in all the regions.
The directive followed revelations at the sittings of the Government Transitional Team on the transfer of executive assets during which it was realised that some government lands, as well as houses, some of which were under construction, had been allocated to former ministers of state and other private individuals.
The letter to the relevant state agencies indicated that the transfer of public lands to private individuals defeated the purpose for which those properties were acquired in the first place.
It said on the part of the lands, they were government lands which were not meant to be shared among ministers of state and other individuals.
It said all the allocations would be reviewed after a new board for the Lands Commission had been put in place.
Other government sources explained that currently there was no Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing to re-examine and review the allocation of such lands.
It said most of those lands, particularly those in Accra, had generated a lot of controversy, with the original owners calling for the lands to be returned to them.
THE process of transferring government lands which have been reallocated by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to private developers has been suspended with immediate effect.
Letters to that effect, signed on behalf of the Chief of Staff by the Chief Director at the Office of the President, Mr L. B. Tusoe, have been dispatched to the relevant agencies which deal with government lands.
The heads of the relevant agencies which have been served with copies of the letter include the Chief Registrar, Land Title Registry; the Executive Secretary, Land Valuation Board; the Director of Surveys, the Survey Department; the Director, the Geological Survey Department; the Executive Director, the Wildlife Division, and the Director of Mines.
The letter, with reference number SCR/A.26/38, said any violation of the directive would attract severe sanctions.
The Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Alhaji H. I. Baryeh, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the commission had received a copy of the letter and explained that by the directive, issuance of allocations and execution of leases relating to specific government land holdings had been frozen.
He said some of the lands, which he said were strategic, were at Cantonments, Ridge and Roman Ridge, all in Accra.
He said the directive also applied to strategic government lands in all the regions.
The directive followed revelations at the sittings of the Government Transitional Team on the transfer of executive assets during which it was realised that some government lands, as well as houses, some of which were under construction, had been allocated to former ministers of state and other private individuals.
The letter to the relevant state agencies indicated that the transfer of public lands to private individuals defeated the purpose for which those properties were acquired in the first place.
It said on the part of the lands, they were government lands which were not meant to be shared among ministers of state and other individuals.
It said all the allocations would be reviewed after a new board for the Lands Commission had been put in place.
Other government sources explained that currently there was no Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing to re-examine and review the allocation of such lands.
It said most of those lands, particularly those in Accra, had generated a lot of controversy, with the original owners calling for the lands to be returned to them.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Network to harmonise election standards(Political page 14) January 31, 2009
Story:Michael Donkor
A REGIONAL network of electoral commissions has been established in the West Africa sub region to harmonise election standards among ECOWAS countries.
Known as ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, it is made up of heads of institutions responsible for managing elections in ECOWAS member states.
A director at the African Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr William A. Awinador-Kanyirige, who confirmed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the body would ensure the promotion of transparent and credible elections in the region and help entrench the culture of democracy.
He said the establishment of the network, which was agreed at the end of a two-day meeting of the heads of electoral management bodies in the region, would also contribute to the emergence of independent and impartial electoral management bodies in member states.
He explained that the proposal for the creation of the network, emanated from a joint workshop held in September 2005 by ECOWAS and the Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG).
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said the body was mandated to also promote public confidence in the electoral process through transparent and credible electoral procedures, as well as the employment of electoral officials with integrity, probity and a strong sense of public service.
He said according to its eight-page statute, the network would also serve as a platform for cooperation in improving electoral laws and practices, the exchange of experiences and best practices, as well as pooling and sharing of electoral resources to ensure cost-effectiveness.
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said the operations of the network, which had three organs including a General Assembly and a Coordinating Committee, would be coordinated from a Secretariat located at the ECOWAS Electoral Unit.
He said the meeting endorsed two documents, one of which was the 34-page ECOWAS handbook on election observation that would serve as a guide for the proper assessment of genuine democratic elections in member states.
He said the first section of the handbook placed election observation within the mandate of ECOWAS, while the other sections comprised practical guidelines for observation missions and sampled observation forms.
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said about 60 participants, including academics, electoral experts and civil society representatives, attended the meeting which was organised in collaboration with the European Union and Open Society Initiatives for West Africa (OSIWA).
A REGIONAL network of electoral commissions has been established in the West Africa sub region to harmonise election standards among ECOWAS countries.
Known as ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, it is made up of heads of institutions responsible for managing elections in ECOWAS member states.
A director at the African Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr William A. Awinador-Kanyirige, who confirmed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the body would ensure the promotion of transparent and credible elections in the region and help entrench the culture of democracy.
He said the establishment of the network, which was agreed at the end of a two-day meeting of the heads of electoral management bodies in the region, would also contribute to the emergence of independent and impartial electoral management bodies in member states.
He explained that the proposal for the creation of the network, emanated from a joint workshop held in September 2005 by ECOWAS and the Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG).
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said the body was mandated to also promote public confidence in the electoral process through transparent and credible electoral procedures, as well as the employment of electoral officials with integrity, probity and a strong sense of public service.
He said according to its eight-page statute, the network would also serve as a platform for cooperation in improving electoral laws and practices, the exchange of experiences and best practices, as well as pooling and sharing of electoral resources to ensure cost-effectiveness.
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said the operations of the network, which had three organs including a General Assembly and a Coordinating Committee, would be coordinated from a Secretariat located at the ECOWAS Electoral Unit.
He said the meeting endorsed two documents, one of which was the 34-page ECOWAS handbook on election observation that would serve as a guide for the proper assessment of genuine democratic elections in member states.
He said the first section of the handbook placed election observation within the mandate of ECOWAS, while the other sections comprised practical guidelines for observation missions and sampled observation forms.
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said about 60 participants, including academics, electoral experts and civil society representatives, attended the meeting which was organised in collaboration with the European Union and Open Society Initiatives for West Africa (OSIWA).
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