Monday, August 26, 2013
Long before the proceedings began
at the Supreme Court, rumours had it that the panel of Supreme Court judges had
sympathizers or loyal NPP members among the 9. Names flew about and denials
came from Justice V.M. Dotse particularly.
I have been inundated with
questions from NDC supporters wondering what the fate of the President and the
NDC will be, given those rumours. We note that there is always an element of
truth in the Ghanaian rumour. Otherwise, wonder why Kutu Acheampong would pass
a decree in the 1970s against rumour-mongering in Ghana!!
So, the rumours have rolled
along, done many rounds in the public domain, and now given substance by none
other than the NPP’s Deputy Communications Director, Sammy Awuku (who was
recently grilled and lowered by Justice Atuguba’s panel for contempt of court).
In a transcript released by
RadioGold and circulated widely, Sammy Awuku was reported in the interview that
he gave in London recently that:
“But
it is true that among the nine judges, we also have at least quite a good
number who are favourable to our cause and that is the only thing that has
restrained us other than that… . Because if you will realise the attack has not
been on the nine judges. It has been targeted at a particular individual.
(interruption from a male voice.... ‘Atuguba’).
Let’s be very
fair but because he doesn’t want to go down alone he finds a way of extending
it to all his colleagues. But the target among the nine judges has never been
Akoto Bamfo or Baffoe Bonney or Dotse or Adeniyira or Julius Ansah or Gbadegbe
or Anin Yeboah or Gbadegbe.”
Now, we have
names from the NPP’s stables: Justice Akoto Bamfo; Justice Baffoe Bonney;
Justice Dotse; Justice Adiniyira; Justice Julius Ansah; Justice Anin Yeboah;
and Justice Sule Gbadegbe.
That gives us 7
out of the 9 members of the panel. Justices Atuguba and Rose Owusu were not
mentioned by Awuku as he did the others.
Here is what
Awuku is reported to have added: “I don’t want to give any prediction but we
expect to get a, a higher number amongst the nine.”
Yes, these are issues pertinent
to the NPP’s petition hearing that piques my interest. I am left in no doubt
that these NPP people think that they have the case under wraps just because
they have judges on the panel to trust. The matter, however, goes beyond that
self-assured optimism. It is a matter of life or death for the country’s
democracy; and those of us who have been keenly monitoring events know full
well that the NPP’s petition is nothing worth anybody’s bother.
And that is the more reason why
we have been particularly bent on tearing it apart, picking up its salient
aspects and unpacking for purposes of exposing the weaknesses for the benefit
of Ghanaians. Even though the proceedings have been telecast lie, there is
still need for more analysis to bring home to those who can read between the
lines what the intricacies are.
We are not bothered about the
theatricals characterizing the presentations in the chamber of the Supreme
Court. That is why we have torn apart this petition for all that it is. Within
this context, it must be clear to the 9-member panel that we all know what is
what and won’t sit down to be fooled by those with partisan political party
biases. The matter is straightforward and we expect it to be concluded as such.
No amount of party allegiance will change the dynamics or add value to this
hollow petition.
That is why the judges who have
been exposed by Sammy Awuku will have to take note that if they allow their
misguided political interests to take precedence over reality, they will be
helping to set a huge fire in the country that will consume them. It is not
threat; it is just a humble appeal to conscience and good sense of judgement.
The matter before the panel has
to do with the political will of the electorate and must be approached as such.
Any member of the panel deceiving himself or herself that it is anything else
will be held liable for anything they set in motion to derail our democracy.
In the meantime, will the judges
mentioned by Sammy Awuku be bold enough to clear the air? We are waiting for
them as we approach August 29. Gradually, the veil covering them is being
lifted for us to see and know the real men and women behind the masks (not wigs,
this time)!!
I shall return…
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