In a scathing critique, Associate Professor Sharif Mahmud Khalid, a member of the Finance and Economic Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed his deep dissatisfaction with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s recent speech at the Ghana Bar Association’s Annual Conference.
Associate Professor Khalid accused the President of undermining the gravity of key national issues while using the prestigious platform to launch partisan attacks on former President John Dramani Mahama, a move he describes as unbecoming of the office of the President.
Addressing what he sees as a gross misjudgment by the President, Associate Professor Khalid chided President Akufo-Addo for failing to address issues that are of critical concern to Ghanaians.
“You have a President who goes before the Ghana Bar Association Conference, and instead of apologizing for Techiman, instead of apologizing for Ayawaso, he went on a bandwagon of attacks on President Mahama.
“Our prisons are overflowing, justice is being delayed and denied, yet at the Bar conference, the President decided to behave like Caligula in responding to campaign trail issues and comments.”
Sharif Mahmud Khalid, Associate Professor and Finance and Economic Committee Member, NDC
He questioned whether the platform was appropriate for such a discourse, noting that it came at a time when the country faced more pressing challenges.
Electoral Violence and Lack of Accountability
Associate Professor Khalid’s reference to Techiman and Ayawaso refers to the violent incidents during the 2020 elections and the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, which many, including civil society, have condemned for the excessive use of force.
He criticized President Akufo-Addo for not addressing these critical issues and instead shifting focus to the Airbus scandal involving former President Mahama.
“Where is his moral right to talk about the Airbus issue? When he appointed the first-ever independent Special Prosecutor, who came out to say that he is the mother serpent of corruption”.
Sharif Mahmud Khalid, Associate Professor and Finance and Economic Committee Member, NDC
He referenced the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu’s infamous resignation letter in which he accused the President of interfering in his work.
Mahama’s Exoneration
The NDC stalwart lambasted the President’s decision to use the Bar conference platform to reignite old political disputes rather than focusing on the pressing legal and justice system challenges.
He pointed out that while the President boasted of his administration’s integrity, it was the very office of the Special Prosecutor he established that exonerated former President Mahama of any corruption in the Airbus case.
“You appoint another Special Prosecutor who clears President Mahama of any corruption charges in the Airbus scandal, and you think the Bar conference was the right platform for these attacks?”
Sharif Mahmud Khalid, Associate Professor and Finance and Economic Committee Member, NDC
Criticisms of the Ghana Bar Association
Moreover, Associate Professor Khalid expressed his disappointment with the Ghana Bar Association for providing the President with a platform for what he described as partisan rhetoric, especially at a time when the country’s judicial system is facing significant challenges.
He argued that the Bar Association should have distanced itself from the President’s remarks, given his failure to address serious national concerns.
The NDC academic further emphasized that the legal fraternity, represented by the Bar Association, should have demonstrated disapproval of the President’s conduct.
“The Bar has a long history of involvement in our independence struggle and nation-building. Its forebearers fought for respect, potency, and efficacy, and that legacy is being eroded with the kinds of platforms being created under this administration.
“The Bar ought to have demonstrated that it is an important organization; it has been part of our independent struggle, and today its respect is dwindling at an accelerated rate under this administration, with a lawyer president and a member of the association at the helm”.
Sharif Mahmud Khalid, Associate Professor and Finance and Economic Committee Member, NDC
Associate Professor Khalid did not hold back in his critique of the Bar Association’s leadership, particularly its decision to honour President Akufo-Addo with a lifetime achievement award during the same event.
“After the President’s blatant disregard for justice and accountability, they crowned him with a lifetime award. Is this the time to award him when we have witnessed Techiman, Ayawaso, and other atrocities? The Bar should have acted strong, standing in solidarity with the principles it once upheld”.
Sharif Mahmud Khalid, Associate Professor and Finance and Economic Committee Member, NDC
He also highlighted the growing concerns about the judicial system, noting the overcrowded prisons, delayed court cases, and controversial appointments to the bench.
He questioned why the Bar Association, during such a crucial conference, did not address these pressing matters but instead, they allowed the President to deflect attention to political attacks on former President Mahama and respond aggressively to criticism of the Free Senior High School policy.
“When the Bar President made his speech, it felt like it was coming directly from the Flagstaff House. Here we have a judiciary under pressure, appointments to the bench being questioned, prisons overflowing, and the Bar chooses to talk about the Ghana Card and Free SHS?”.
Sharif Mahmud Khalid, Associate Professor and Finance and Economic Committee Member, NDC
Associate Professor Khalid’s disappointment extended to the optics of the President’s conduct, stating that it tarnished not only the legacy of the Bar Association but also Ghana’s democratic principles.
He reminded the public of the President’s controversial tag as the “mother serpent of corruption” by his own appointee and questioned his moral authority to mount a podium at the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to attack his political opponents.
In closing, Associate Professor Khalid warned of the dangerous path Ghana’s democracy was heading towards if institutions like the Bar Association failed to hold political leaders accountable.
“This is the sweat, blood, and tears of our forebearers. And today, if we decide to reduce it to political gimmickry and charades, where are we as a democracy? These are the fundamental questions we need to be answering,” he concluded.
Associate Professor Sharif Mahmud Khalid’s remarks reflect a broader concern within the opposition and civil society over the politicization of key state institutions under the Akufo-Addo administration.
His call for accountability and a return to the core values of justice and democracy serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding these principles in a fragile political environment.
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