President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has come under severe criticism following his refusal to assent into law the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill on Witchcraft, and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill, 2022, with claim that the bills place financial responsibility on the country’s consolidated fund.

Reacting to the development, Private Legal Practitioner and Social Activist, Lawyer Martin Kpebu argued that President Akufo-Addo’s refusal to assent the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill on Witchcraft and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill, 2022 into law undermines the country’s democracy.

According to Lawyer Martin Kpebu, the decision of President Akufo-Addo’s objections to assent to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill on Witchcraft and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill, 2022 bills at a time when the President had already endorsed one death penalty law in July this year is very unfortunate.

“We did a presentation with Amnesty International. I made the presentation to the President to amend Act 29, and the president nodded in admiration. The then Attorney-General, Gloria Akuffo, and Ambrose Dery were there. They didn’t do it, and Sosu did, and the president was happy that at least the Private Members Bill had resulted, so he signed the first one joyously. So I think that this thing he is doing is sending our democracy back”
Lawyer Martin Kpebu

Private Members’ Bill And State Financial Responsibility Controversy

Furthermore, Lawyer Martin Kpebu contested President Akufo-Addo’s claim that the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill on Witchcraft and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill, 2022 bills place a financial burden on the state.

He strongly asserted that the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill on Witchcraft and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill, 2022 do not any instance impose financial responsibility on the country’s consolidated fund as claimed by President Akufo-Addo in his letter to Parliament.

According to him, it is very inappropriate and against best practices for President Akufo-Addo to use such concerns as the reasons not to assent the bills months after the bills were passed by Parliament.

“I will say that it is not right for the president to come too late in the day to say that he is not able to assent because it imposes charges on the consolidated fund. So the question is, at the time he was signing the first death penalty, you knew the death penalty laws were two. There is the one that has to do with Act 29, which he has already signed, and there is the Armed Forces Law and the witchcraft law that he has not signed. That law was passed in July, so it baffles me that the president is coming now, after several months, to say no, he doesn’t think that’s the right thing to do.”
Lawyer Martin Kpebu

Lawyer Martin Kpebu thus urged President Akufo-Addo to reconsider his decision of refusing to assent the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill on Witchcraft and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill, 2022 bills into law as such a decision would undermine the country’s social equality efforts.

Meanwhile, the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Honorable Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has described the language of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin response to President Akufo-Addo’s refusal to assent to the bills as unfortunate.

The Suame Member of Parliament insisted that President Akufo-Addo did not breach any law in the country by returning the bills to Parliament.

“If the Speaker disagrees with him, it is legitimate, and he could have ended at that. I disagree with the opinion of the president. Then maybe I also come up with my understanding of the law. But we all saw and heard the rather visceral language of the speaker”.
Honorable Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu