Government Disowns NDC Boss

Posted:Daily Guide |Friday, 20 August 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Adjei has ostensibly been left alone in the wilderness to grieve over the flaks he has been receiving from all sections of the country for the unguarded comments he made about the judiciary.

He had indicated government’s preparedness to ‘clean’ or purge the judiciary for supposedly being biased against the current administration, stressing that “people in the judiciary can make a very good case look very bad.”

Furthermore, he said “if the judiciary is biased, if the judiciary has made its mind in one direction, not even Jesus Christ who was appointed as the Attorney General can change things.

We will clean it if they don’t take steps to clean it” and warned “we will clean it and let everybody everywhere blame us for interfering in the judiciary and we will take them on.”

Obviously compelled by growing public pressure to state its position on the matter, government came out with a statement on the issue yesterday, distancing itself, albeit faintly.

Though government did not directly distance itself from the party chairman’s position, it however denied having any such ill motives to purge the judiciary as Kwabena Adjei sought to say.

A statement issued by Information Minister John Akologu Tia yesterday on government’s behalf reassured the Judiciary, the general public and the international community that it “has absolutely no intention of carrying out a political purge of the judiciary.”

Though Kwabena Adjei was emphatic in his statement about the judiciary, government tried to put a spin on it since, according to Mr. Tia, “government believes that is not what Dr. Kwabena Adjei sought to imply by his remarks.”

Government says it has taken note of concerns raised in the wake of remarks made by the NDC chairman regarding the administration of justice in the country.

That notwithstanding, it said it was unfortunate that political opponents of the NDC had seized upon Dr. Kwabena Adjei’s remarks as an opportunity to demonize the government and cause undue panic and fear among the judiciary.
It was however hopeful that the Judiciary had within it, persons of integrity whose conscience, professionalism and dedication to the rule of law would lead them to correct whatever negative impression that the public had about the administration of justice in this country.

AFAG Dares NDC

Posted: Daily Guide |Friday, 20 August 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has dared the National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Adjei, to go ahead with his threat and that of his party to ‘clean’ the judiciary.

Should he make any such attempt, the group says they are more than ready to stop him in his tracks, right at the doorstep of his home.

Their position comes in the wake of the NDC chairman’s accusation of the country’s judiciary as being biased against the ruling government; he subsequently indicated government’s preparedness to ‘clean it’ if need be.

The pressure group believes his comments are not only unsavoury but also reckless and a calculated attempt to intimidate and instil fear in the judiciary.

At a press conference in Accra yesterday, Spokesman for AFAG, Martin Adjei Mensah Akorsah, reminded the NDC chairman that the independence of Ghana was founded on mass action, adding that they hold the country’s motto, ‘freedom and justice’, in high esteem and will therefore “not allow the course of justice to succumb to the whims and caprices of the cleaners.”

They could not fathom why Dr Kwabena Adjei, and for that matter the NDC, thinks the judiciary has tilted against them, emphasizing that “it was in the hands of these same purported ‘NPP judges’ on the Bench that the NPP-led government suffered a major legal defeat that led to the exoneration of NDC gurus such as Nana Ato Dadzie, Sherry Ayittey, Kwasi Ahwoi and Dr. Dapaah during their trial.”

The group said it was one of these so-called NPP judges who recently ruled against CHRAJ on the Mabey and Johnson trial involving former and current government officials, therefore wondering why “the NDC did not find anything wrong with this because its members were involved and probably they believed the dispensation of justice should only favour them.”

Be that as it may, AFAG says it will be shocked if President Mills, and for that matter government, did not call Dr Adjei to order and distance themselves from a “provocative and useless statement.”

AFAG believes that as a person who attends cabinet meetings and a one time Member of Parliament, Dr Kwabena Adjei should be in a better position to demonstrate his profound respect for the rule of law and provide such inspirational leadership worthy of emulation.

They noted that Dr Adjei, aka ‘Wayoo Wayo’, “has only succeeded in demonstrating to the whole world that he is inept, desperate and for that matter all the allegations of corruption hurled at members of the NPP Government during the 2008 presidential elections were politically motivated and lacked merit.”

AFAG is of the conviction that Dr. Adjei and the NDC are only seeking favour and bent on changing the Chief Justice in order for their government to have the opportunity to appoint a person that they can manipulate and also politicise the judiciary.

“We shall however hold Dr. Kwabena Adjei and his NDC accountable to any attempt on the life of a Judge in whichever form, as he explores his several ways in killing a cat,” the group emphasised.

They have therefore asked her lordship, the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood and her colleague members of the bench to remain steadfast and not be shaken by these threats, saying “we urge her to be strong and keep flying high like an eagle as she remains a model of hope for the Ghanaian woman.”

Flanked by high-ranking members of AFAG including its chairman, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, James Apietu Ankrah and a host of others, Mr Akorsah said if the CJ bowed to “these baseless pressures”, she would only succeed in putting in the public domain how much women in public places cannot withstand “the nuisance of some failing politicians and their displaced aggressions.”

He recalled how three high court judges were murdered during the PNDC era in 1982 as a result of “such similar senseless sentiments made against the judiciary where Dr. Kwabena Adjei as militant as he was, was the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry.”

AFAG expressed hope that the P (NDC) will depart from “its hostile and oppressive circumstances that cowed judges into submission under the totalitarian, autocratic and suppressive rule of the PNDC that gave birth to this NDC.”

AFAG Dares NDC

Posted: Daily Guide |Friday, 20 August 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has dared the National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Adjei, to go ahead with his threat and that of his party to ‘clean’ the judiciary.

Should he make any such attempt, the group says they are more than ready to stop him in his tracks, right at the doorstep of his home.

Their position comes in the wake of the NDC chairman’s accusation of the country’s judiciary as being biased against the ruling government; he subsequently indicated government’s preparedness to ‘clean it’ if need be.

The pressure group believes his comments are not only unsavoury but also reckless and a calculated attempt to intimidate and instil fear in the judiciary.

At a press conference in Accra yesterday, Spokesman for AFAG, Martin Adjei Mensah Akorsah, reminded the NDC chairman that the independence of Ghana was founded on mass action, adding that they hold the country’s motto, ‘freedom and justice’, in high esteem and will therefore “not allow the course of justice to succumb to the whims and caprices of the cleaners.”

They could not fathom why Dr Kwabena Adjei, and for that matter the NDC, thinks the judiciary has tilted against them, emphasizing that “it was in the hands of these same purported ‘NPP judges’ on the Bench that the NPP-led government suffered a major legal defeat that led to the exoneration of NDC gurus such as Nana Ato Dadzie, Sherry Ayittey, Kwasi Ahwoi and Dr. Dapaah during their trial.”

The group said it was one of these so-called NPP judges who recently ruled against CHRAJ on the Mabey and Johnson trial involving former and current government officials, therefore wondering why “the NDC did not find anything wrong with this because its members were involved and probably they believed the dispensation of justice should only favour them.”

Be that as it may, AFAG says it will be shocked if President Mills, and for that matter government, did not call Dr Adjei to order and distance themselves from a “provocative and useless statement.”

AFAG believes that as a person who attends cabinet meetings and a one time Member of Parliament, Dr Kwabena Adjei should be in a better position to demonstrate his profound respect for the rule of law and provide such inspirational leadership worthy of emulation.

They noted that Dr Adjei, aka ‘Wayoo Wayo’, “has only succeeded in demonstrating to the whole world that he is inept, desperate and for that matter all the allegations of corruption hurled at members of the NPP Government during the 2008 presidential elections were politically motivated and lacked merit.”

AFAG is of the conviction that Dr. Adjei and the NDC are only seeking favour and bent on changing the Chief Justice in order for their government to have the opportunity to appoint a person that they can manipulate and also politicise the judiciary.

“We shall however hold Dr. Kwabena Adjei and his NDC accountable to any attempt on the life of a Judge in whichever form, as he explores his several ways in killing a cat,” the group emphasised.

They have therefore asked her lordship, the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood and her colleague members of the bench to remain steadfast and not be shaken by these threats, saying “we urge her to be strong and keep flying high like an eagle as she remains a model of hope for the Ghanaian woman.”

Flanked by high-ranking members of AFAG including its chairman, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, James Apietu Ankrah and a host of others, Mr Akorsah said if the CJ bowed to “these baseless pressures”, she would only succeed in putting in the public domain how much women in public places cannot withstand “the nuisance of some failing politicians and their displaced aggressions.”

He recalled how three high court judges were murdered during the PNDC era in 1982 as a result of “such similar senseless sentiments made against the judiciary where Dr. Kwabena Adjei as militant as he was, was the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry.”

AFAG expressed hope that the P (NDC) will depart from “its hostile and oppressive circumstances that cowed judges into submission under the totalitarian, autocratic and suppressive rule of the PNDC that gave birth to this NDC.”