Be vanguard For The Vulnerable - Prez Tells GBA

President John Atta Mills

has enjoined the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to reposition itself as the vanguard and mouthpiece of the people, especially the poor and vulnerable sections of the Ghanaian society.

He said that was the only way the association could help address the concerns of the poor and disadvantaged who had, for a very long time, smarted under all kinds of political, economic and social injustices in the society.

President Mills made the remarks yesterday when he received the national executive of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) at the Castle, Osu.

He explained that members of the GBA had undergone specialised training which had equipped them to lend assistance to persons who had been subjected to all kinds of injustices.

He said more often than not, the poor in society found it extremely difficult to approach members of the GBA, let alone hire their services, in their bid to seek redress for cases brought against them by others at the law courts.

According to the President, there was the erroneous impression among a section of the poor that members of the GBA only represented the rich and the powerful in society and were against the interests of the poor.

He said the time had come for the GBA to institute measures which would go a long way to articulate the rising expectations of the broad masses of the people who could not seek legal avenues for the redress of their grievances.

President Mills also called on the association to complement the efforts of the government in its bid to rid society of impunity, which he said hung dangerously over the nation like “the sword of Damocles”.

He said the GBA could not be wished away by the government in its attempt to transform the social and economic fortunes of the country and stressed that the government would, with the passage of time, seek the opinion of the association on crucial and pertinent matters of national development and progress.

President Mills reiterated the government’s commitment to the rule of law, stressing that it would not, under any circumstance, indulge in any acts that would undermine the Fourth Republican Constitution and create confusion in the country.

For his part, the President of the association, Mr Frank Beecham, congratulated President Mills on his electoral victory in the 2008 presidential election and stressed that the GBA was convinced about the ability of the President to lead the country along the path of national reconstruction and renewal of society.

He said it also strongly believed that President Mills would be guided by the rule of law in the management of the country.

Mr Beecham said the doors of the association were always open for fruitful interaction with the government on issues of national interest.