Jean Mensa Biography: All you need to know about the Ghanaian EC Boss

Jean Mensa born Jean Adukwei Mensa is a Ghanaian lawyer and the current Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana.

She was initially the Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs before she became the Electoral Commission’s Chairperson.

Full Name

She was born Jean Adukwei Mensa but she is widely known as Jean Mensa.

Education

Jean is an alumna of the St. Mary’s Senior High School. She then moved on to the University of Ghana, Faculty of Law where she received her degree in the year 1993.

She was called to the Bar in 1996. Jean Mensa also received an executive education from the Harvard Business School in the year 2018.

Career

Jean Mensa was appointed as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana on 23 July 2018, after her predecessor was removed from office.

She was initially a leader in policy research and advocacy and was involved in the development of policies such as the Presidential Transition Act of 2012, the Revised 1992 Constitution of Ghana (draft), the Political Parties Funding Bill, and the Revised Political Parties Bill.

Her specialization has been developing and implementing policy alternatives that reflect international best practice but are also tailored to Ghana’s needs. This is her first ever significant public sector appointment.

Jean was sworn in by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo.

Mrs. Mensa’s long record of promoting national unity and cohesion include facilitating the IEA’s Evening Encounter Series, Ghana’s Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates, as well as Town Hall Meetings for parliamentary candidates.

Prior to working at the IEA, She worked at Amarkai Amarteifio Chambers (1995-1997) and BJ Da Rocha Chambers as a Junior Lawyer in the year 1998.

Mensa has been ranked by the African Network of Entrepreneurs (TANOE) was one of the Top 60 outstanding, inspiring and hardworking corporate women leaders in Ghana in the year 2017 .

She has won several awards including the Excellent Leadership Award by the EXLA Group in the year 2013 and the Young Professional Role Model in Governance Award presented by the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition Initiative in the year 2014.

Controversy

The swearing came with controversy as one Fafali Nyonator took to the supreme court to challenge the decision of the president. She challenged the removal of the former Electoral Commission and pleaded with the court to hear her substantive case.

The President claimed the removal of the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Charlotte Osei from her office was carried on with no malice. The president said it was expected of him to discharge the constitutional mandate.

Former President His Excellency John Dramani Mahama cautioned the EC Boss; Jean Mensa not to compile a new voter’s register in the year 2020.

He claimed there is not much time left for the general election to compile a new voters’ register. He said Jean Mensah and her outfit will be held responsible if the country turns into a turmoil after the 2020 general elections takes place.

Demonstrations took place across the country in three cities Tamale, Kumasi and Accra to sound their view against the compilation, however the EC went to compile a new register as planned.

After the 2020 general elections, Jean Mensa declared the New Patriotic Party’s candidate as the President elect of the Republic of Ghana.

A day after the declaration, in a statement on the EC social media handles, they admitted to errors made in the calculations of the total votes cast. This new has sparked a lot of debate on the validity of the election results itself.