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15.04.2015 Editorial

See Who Is Talking!

By Daily Guide
See Who Is Talking!
15.04.2015 LISTEN

We pray to God Almighty to grant us long lives and good health. This way we would witness the vicissitudes of life as they unfold. During a celebratory activity at the University of Ghana Law School a few days ago, Mr Justice William Atuguba made interesting and rich, if you like, observations about Ghana.

He did not spare the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) a query for what to him is its sudden slumber as pertinent issues are left unattended to as he recalled a yesterday full of good things.

We dare state in opposition that what prevailed yesterday continues today, if he cares to know.

Justice Atuguba would have rather, we think by inference, the GBA returns to its days of demonstrations against negative developments affecting the nation. These are interesting times and there are many ahead for those who are blessed by God with long life and good health.

We salute him for his observation about a polarised GBA, but wish to add that he should have said same for the judiciary whose performance is anything but heart-warming. Although he is entitled to his opinion, which is what he has spewed out, we too can put forth what we think about a judiciary which is as polarised as the GBA - a fact evidenced during the proceedings of the election petition hearing which he powered to its fateful end.

A petition which should have put paid to an issue threatening the democracy of the country ended up failing to do so by its polarised management and outcome.

Thankfully we too are only expressing our opinion on pertinent issues, one of which is what many people think about him. These are after all not judicial issues lying on his awesome desk waiting for his verdict. We cannot therefore be subjected to the '€œhave you seen your size'€ humiliation treat as some suffered at his hands. Unsurprisingly, his thought that only players on one side of the political divide have reduced the country to its present depths has been etched in the psyche of many Ghanaians as they find it repulsive.

Some regarded his demeanour and remarks during the petition hearing as an abuse of authority which did nothing to enhance the image of the judiciary, especially coming from a personality stained with partisanship tendencies.

It is ironic that he is seeing things differently today and putting same for public consumption. For somebody who missed an opportunity to disprove to the world that the judiciary has been infested with the all-pervading contagion of polarisation, we think that his opinion on the setbacks of the Ghanaian society is worthy of a snub and sneer.

While his contribution to the outcome of the landmark election petition became a subject of negative remarks across the country and unfortunately beyond, we find it bizarre that he would turn round the way he has to cast aspersions on the GBA and other departments of state.

We would pause here as our compatriots digest the import of his observations. We shall return to the subject though.

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