Associate Professor and lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has stated that persons criticizing Kan-Dapaah over his comments of the Judiciary being perceived as biased, are being too partisan or do not know what they are talking about.
Reacting to the critiques in a post, he averred that it is a fact that there are some great independent minded judges in Ghana but the people cannot pretend or suddenly be afraid to point out quite frankly and without mincing words that, some people are also losing confidence in the Judiciary. This, he asserted, is a major threat to national security.
“It is either the few very professional (but politically hawkish) people are being too partisan or completely do not know what they are talking about in their critique of Kan-Dapaah’s candor. Judicial oaths are not godly orders. They are not Biblical or Koranic injunctions that are even flouted with impunity by religious adherents. They are sworn and can be broken by the very fallible mortals who staff the bar and the bench.”
Ransford Gyampo
According to Professor Gyampo, anyone who cannot understand this, does not only lack analytical astuteness but such a person is also a political infant, nation wreckers and a great threat to the quest for strong institutions, national cohesion, consensual politics, peace, and political stability, without which there can be no development.
Professor Gyampo asserted that people cannot offer partisan opposition or defense for everything. He added that there must be an elite consensus on many issues that “we must agree never to disagree on, else our drive towards the maturation of our democratization processes would be stampeded at all times.”
Kan-Dapaah’s statement affirms Mahama’s claims
Meanwhile, the Former Deputy Organizer and spokesperson of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahdi Jibril, has alluded that the recent statements by the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah on the state of the Judicial system affirms former President John Mahama’s claims of a bias scheme.
According to NDC’s spokesman, Kan-Dapaah’s statement should not be taken for granted as he believes such concerns are more serious than they appear on the surface with regards to the position he holds as the Minister of National Security.
“Kan-Dapaah watches over Ghana’s national security issues and is on the alert for attacks. [He] can foresee an attempt of a coup or a threat to the sovereignty of power and things that could distort our economy. He got the opportunity with the Third Arm of Government to speak and advise them on how they could contribute to improving security. He cautioned them on treachery acts more especially and cautioned them on [court] rulings that favor the ruling party. ”
Mahdi Jibril
Mr. Jibril indicated that there is the need to discuss Kan-Dapaah’s statements properly. He averred that the statement reveals that as a National Security expert, the information Kan-Dapaah has gathered from the grounds show that the Judges are not doing their works properly.
Both comments came after the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, warned that the perception that the judiciary is biased has dire consequences on the country’s security. According to him, citizens may be forced to do what they like for personal satisfaction if the bench is deemed to be biased.
Mr Kan-Dapaah cautioned against such characterizations stressing they could mar the security structure and established systems of justice. Kan-Dapaah added that the Judiciary’s role is paramount in helping to safeguard the security of the nation; hence, the need to have proper engagements that can sensitize judges to be able to deal with emerging threats that come to them.
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