A member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team, Abraham Amaliba, has raised issues of nepotism on the part of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for settling on Justice Sophia Akuffo as the next Chief Justice.
Nana Akufo-Addo has announced Justice Akuffo as successor to Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, who is retiring on 8 June.
Reacting to the imminent appointment, Mr Amaliba told Moro Awudu on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Friday, 12 May that Justice Akuffo might be biased towards the president because she trained as a lawyer at his chambers.
“Humans as we are, much as you are a professional in what you are doing, the likelihood of you exhibiting some bias towards a person whom you have worked with, who you are related to in terms of where you come from… it [increases] the fear of ordinary citizens that ‘I as an ordinary Ghanaian, if I have issues with either the president or with the attorney general, which is likely to happen and which happens where people are dissatisfied with decisions of the president or of the attorney general, it [increases] the fear that you may not get the justice that you are seeking for,” he stated.
But in a swift response, government communicator Nana Damoah refuted those claims. He said: “Those that have advanced that argument of relationship, I don’t think it holds.
“The president, for a lawyer of his standing, must have had a relationship with almost everybody at the bench. During the Supreme Court petition on the 2012 election for instance, they all sat in the same courtroom and exchanges were hard. He [Nana Akufo-Addo] is a lawyer, all of these Supreme Court judges had at some point in their careers been lawyers. They have collaborated on various issues. Unlike today where we have lots of lawyers, in the early ’60s and ’70s there were very few lawyers and they might have worked on cases together, they must have sat on various committees. So as a result of that appointments should not be made? I don’t think that holds any water.
“I do not think that this president would just make a decision on the whims of it that he would just get up and make a decision. He has considered a lot of things and I believe he has sought counsel in making this choice. Now what is important is that if the choice is confirmed, she would have to go through the processes for confirmation as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana. What I want all of us to focus this discussion on is, will she be able to do what we expect of a Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana to ensure that all of us are served Justice?”
Source: Classfmonline
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Just like how Charlotte Osei was criticise by NPP, they should accept this in good faith. By the way where did she practiced?
This NDC foolsoldiers would still not read n learn, the very mistakes that they did n it took them to opposition, they've not learn from it. This woman was appointed by former prez Jerry in 1995. That's that makes her and NDC activist?. What at all does the NDC want from Ghanaians? NDC ppl should let us think wai.....
And this swine calls himself a lawyer.He's blockheaded to the extent that nothing sensible comes from his mouth.Amaliba must find out the credentials of Justice Sophia Akuffo.She doesn't even relates the President,just that she was trained in his Law firm.
Off course, what do you expect from a tribal aanimal like nana addo
In fact,I took a critical look at this guy's face and look straight at a gecko on my wall....for once I thought I had just seen his twin brother.
Is this guy a lecturer indeed? Sophia was on the bench during the election campaign under the name Sophia Adinyira. Few days to the verdict some of her children were rewarded by mahama as dce's or so in the volta region. Sophia went in favour of mahama in the verdict yet none of you raised doubt but now u are trying to link her maiden name to the president! No wonder you ndc lawyers are bunch of dumb a****
If we continue to criticize every appointment without thinking about peoples' competencies, then we shall not appoint any person. The most important point is that she is a Ghanaian and can hold any position provided she has the work experience and qualification. Her tribe, affinity to the appointing person or her gender does not matter. Her responsibility if to the state and that should be the overarching consideration.