At the 2024/2025 Annual General Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in Kumasi, the GBA President Yaw Acheampong Boafo underscored the association’s unwavering commitment to political neutrality denouncing claims that the GBA has become an appendage of the ruling government.
In his address, Mr Boafo reaffirmed the GBA’s firm stance on maintaining its independence and integrity, highlighting the association’s historical and ongoing commitment to political neutrality.
“I want to reiterate that the GBA has never, is not, and shall never be an appendage of any political party,” he emphasized.
He further emphasised that the GBA’s primary allegiance is to the law and the principles of justice, rather than to any political entity.
Amid increasing concerns that various professional bodies in Ghana are being co-opted for political purposes, Mr Boafo’s remarks served as a clear reminder of the GBA’s role as an impartial institution within the country’s legal and democratic framework.
He called on members to resist any attempts to politicise the association, urging them to remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding ethical standards and serving as impartial arbiters in the pursuit of justice.
A Call for Action Against Galamsey
Addressing the national crisis of illegal mining, known as galamsey, Mr Boafo took a strong stance, urging the government to intensify its fight against the destructive activity.
He highlighted the devastating environmental impact of galamsey and the harm it has caused to local communities across Ghana.
More importantly, Mr Boafo called for an honest and decisive approach to combatting the real powers behind galamsey, stressing that the issue cannot be ignored any longer.
“The anecdotal evidence that galamsey is controlled by a powerful interest in Ghana cannot be ignored. The state must be honest and deal with the real powers behind this menace”.
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He also criticised recent comments made by Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, who claimed that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had polluted more water bodies than the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), when it was in power.
Describing the remarks as “irresponsible,” Mr Boafo condemned the politicisation of such a critical national issue, emphasising the need for collaboration rather than partisan point-scoring in addressing galamsey.
“It was quite shocking and most regrettable when a member of the leadership of parliament on the floor of parliament stated that the minority party during this period in government polluted the waters of Ghana more than the ruling party”.
The GBA President Yaw Acheampong Boafo
He decried this approach as symptomatic of a deeper national malaise where “every issue must be reduced to partisan point-scoring.”
Reviewing the Free SHS Policy for Financial Equity
Turning his attention to education, the GBA President called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration to reconsider aspects of the Free SHS policy, particularly in relation to students from affluent backgrounds.
While acknowledging the significant impact the policy has had in improving access to education in Ghana, he proposed a more equitable approach to ensure that resources are effectively allocated to those who need them most.
Mr Boafo advocated for means-testing the Free SHS programme, using data compiled by the National Identification Authority, to ensure that wealthier families contribute to the cost of secondary education.
“The Free SHS programme must be means-tested so that rich parents do not suddenly transform to become peasant farmers, as in the days of old when we had the COCOBOD scholarship”.
Yaw Acheampong Boafo, President GBA
He further emphasised the need to prioritise investment in basic education, urging the government to focus on eliminating schools under trees, improving public school infrastructure, and providing essential resources, such as sanitary pads for young girls from poor backgrounds.
“As one comes before two, so basic education comes before secondary education,” Mr Boafo pointed out, highlighting the importance of strengthening the foundation of Ghana’s education system before expanding resources to secondary levels.
Mr Boafo also referenced the recent Auditor-General’s report on the school feeding programme, calling for a review and improvements in its operations to ensure that it better serves its intended beneficiaries, particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Mr Yaw Boafo’s address at the GBA conference was a resounding call for political neutrality within the association, a unified national approach to combating galamsey, and greater equity in Ghana’s educational policies.
His statements underscore the need for integrity, collaboration, and targeted reform in addressing some of the country’s most pressing issues.
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