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29.05.2012 Editorial

A Dangerous Trend

By Daily Guide
President John Evans Atta MillsPresident John Evans Atta Mills
29.05.2012 LISTEN

We are mired in a constitutional crisis of sorts. When a President who swore to uphold the Constitution, the supreme law of the country, presides over a Cabinet which undermines the authority of the Supreme Court, we must all be worried.

One school of legal thought thinks the president has provoked an impeachable crisis which, if he survives, he would continue to be haunted by it long after he lives office.

Having such a breach captured in the political history of the country is a negative notation which is not a source of pride for a man of the academic calibre of President Mills.

The situation we find ourselves in today is one in which the Executive does not feel limited in its powers; perhaps intoxicated by the seemingly unlimited powers at its disposal.

Government and all the agencies of state operate under a Constitution promulgated by the NDC and this we have all accepted as the law.

For us to wake up to find the President faltering in his adherence to the tenets of this document; something dangerously has gone amiss, a situation which must engage our attention.

When absolute power starts to corrupt absolutely, the tenets of democracy suffer immensely and affect the quality of governance. Many government buildings have been sold out to various personalities over time. For the present government to come out with such a fiat to negate a similar legal transaction in contravention of a Supreme Court decision is not only laughable but opens it up for unnecessary opprobrium of the citizenry.

Most of us might not be lettered as observed by the foul-mouthed Asiedu-Nketia of the NDC; but we can bet our last cedi that this shortcoming notwithstanding, Ghanaians, majority of whom are discerning, are watching the aberration.

If only those at the helm and responsible for the violation of the spirit of the constitution could gauge the degree of public opprobrium regarding their disdainful outburst and action, they could possibly rethink their stance.

Our attempt at building a world-class democracy has been dealt a devastating blow and it is regrettable that it is Prof John Evans Atta Mills who presided over the untoward conduct.

It is heartwarming though that Ghanaians, in their new state of political consciousness, will not fold their arms as the constitution, which we have all agreed to regard as the supreme law of the land, is abused in such a fashion.

We have advanced from those dark days when such conduct could be displayed with no apprehension of questioning by the people.

President Mills and his team have gone beyond the bounds of political acceptability as they wade in dangerous waters, a costly thing to do at this time.

 

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