The emerging tit-for-tat between the Attorney-General (AG), Godfred Dammy, and Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa has escalated. The office of the former has called for the latter to stop his criticism against the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. The office entreated Cudjoe to concentrate on the facts and not aspersions as he is doing now.
In a recent Social Media post, Cudjoe called on the AG to give an unqualified apology to the people of SALL (Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi) for his perceived failures pertaining to their voting rights in the 2020 polls.
Despite their eligibility to vote, these residents were denied their right to cast their ballot because the Electoral Commission (EC) did not create a Constituency for them. When the matter was brought before the Courts, the Ho High Court granted an interim injunction against the EC’s issue of a gazette for John Peter Amewu as Member of Parliament – elect for Hohoe.
Then deputy AG, Godfred Dammy successfully contested the injunction subsequently. In a response to Cudjoe’s remarks, Isaac Wilberforce Mensah, the Attorney-General’s spokesperson retorted that the AG’s responsibilities do not involve advising the EC. He stated that the creation of Constituencies lies solely under the purview of the Electoral Commission, not the AG.
Mensah stated in addition that, during the period in question, his principal, Godfred Dammy was deputizing and did not advise the President.
“The duties of the Attorney General under the constitution are not about the creation of constituencies for which reason you would attack the Attorney General. These questions should be directed to the proper quarters. The constitution under the representation of the People’s Chapter has given that duty specifically to a particular body in this country and it is like we are trying to attack the Attorney General for anything that happens in the country.”
Isaac Wilberforce Mensah
Cudjoe’s Post
Earlier, the founding CEO and President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe made a call for Attorney-General Godfred Dammy to issue an unqualified apology to the SALL People (Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi).
“On behalf of the disenfranchised people of SALL, I call on the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to render an unqualified apology for his dereliction of duty in seeking justice for the 30,000 citizens of SALL that were callously prevented from the last Parliamentary elections.
Indeed he should be sorry for defending the state against disenfranchised SALL citizens and offering no dignified advice to the presidency on resolving the debacle.”
Franklin Cudjoe
As one of the vibrant Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in Ghana, IMANI Africa like the peers, has usually been at loggerheads with the country’s authorities. Nonetheless, the relationship between CSOs and the government in Ghana is not always toxic. It is a bitter-sweet relationship characterized by the usual fun and occasional fights.
The vibrancy of its media and Civil Society Organizations have been lauded as the cornerstone of Ghana’s democratic success in the subregion and Africa at large.
The lingering SALL Issue
Heading to the 2020 election, several areas of dispute arose between the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Madam Jean Mensah-led Electoral Commission. Among those issues is the creation of new constituencies. The opposition at the time felt that the EC was working in cahoot with the Government to undermine the people’s will by rigging the election.
When SALL (Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi) district was created without a constituency, the opposition drew the attention of the Electoral Commission, and its Commissioner Madam Jean Mensah, and the government of Nana Addo which could amount to the disenfranchisement of the people. NDC later filed and secured an interim injunction against John Peter Amewu as Member of Parliament elect for Hohoe against the background of the “disenfranchisement” of the SALL people. The AG’s office successfully fought against the injunction afterward. It has been four years now and SALL people still don’t have a “representation” in Parliament and their faith in this 2024 election is further In Limbo.
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