Don�t Celebrate Martyrs� Day If You Can�t Condemn Sir John �Pratt Tells NPP

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Junior has descended heavily on the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for celebrating Martyrs� day in honour of the justices who lost their lives during the revolution era while failing to condemn their own for threatening the lives of judges sitting on the election petition case. The Ghana Bar Association annually celebrates Martyrs Day on June 30th in memory of Justices Fred Poku Sarkodie, Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, and Kwadwo Adyei Agyepong. �This country has a history and part of this history is that judges were picked up and executed by reckless and misguided elements. We still have not overcome some of the consequences of this reckless adventurous act leading to the execution of judges. That is why every year the Ghana Bar Association organizes the Martyrs day,� Mr. Pratt noted. �The NPP has played a key role in the celebration of Martyrs day every year. What is the importance in their participation in the celebration of Martyrs day if they cannot openly reprimand Sir John for his utterances? What is the value of all the noise that they have made over Martyrs day?� he asked. Speaking on Radio Gold�s current affairs programme, Alhaji and Alhaji with Alhassan Suhuyini Saturday, Mr. Pratt described the contemptuous comments made by Sir John as an indictment on the NPP� integrity. �When I heard that tape being played I was shock. I was shocked not because of the gravity of the comments being made, but that the party that Sir John belongs to, for the past 60 years, have insisted that it is the only party that respects the rule of law, democracy and the sanctity of the judiciary�, he said. He also denounced pleas by the youth wing of the NPP (before Sir John�s conviction) that its general secretary should not be punish for his utterances on the basis that his conviction will not augur well for the country�s peace and stability. �The excuses I heard are insulting. One of them being that: because he is general secretary of the largest opposition party, if anybody touches him there will be consequences. What happened to the principle of equality before the law? It is very sad to note that such a consideration should be made. What is even shocking is that those who make these pleas forget that they have indeed taken the President of Ghana to the same court. If the court should not deal with the general secretary of a political party, should the court deal with the President-the Supreme Commander of the Ghana Armed Forces?� he questioned. The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper is advising the NPP to reprimand its general secretary if it wants to be recognized as a respecter of the rule of law.