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07.06.2021 Feature Article

Why this shameless anti-Law, anti-Supreme Court and anti-EC attitude by some Ghanaian scholars and CSOs?

Why this shameless anti-Law, anti-Supreme Court and anti-EC attitude by some Ghanaian scholars and CSOs?
07.06.2021 LISTEN

While Rockson Adofo, that fearless and no-nonsense son of Kumawu/Asiampa soil and all his ilk are fighting relentlessly to ensure the total adherence to the law and the prevalence of unadulterated justice in Ghana, other “all knowing” Ghanaian scholars and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are of a different view or on a different trajectory.

From my prolific write-ups, one can easily establish my resolute determination and desire to have laws work with people obeying the laws of the land. As a country and a people, we cannot live peacefully, prosperously and securely without the statutory laws and regulations made for our safety and that of the nation being respected and adhered to.

Is it not the yearning for laws to be respected, in which case there will be less, or no crimes committed in Ghana that has given emergence to the so-called Ghanaian youth freedom fighters? Many of the youngsters are hurtling to respond to the clarion call of a battle to liberate Ghana from the tentacles of official corruption, political parties and government incompetence, traditional leadership failures, destruction of the country’s water bodies, fertile and arable lands, forests and air.

Failure to respect the laws, but to do as pleases some people, especially those in positions of power and potential criminals, has culminated in the ramifications of official corruption, armed robberies, murders and the dreadful devastation of the country’s ecology. Same failure has empowered almost all the nation’s traditional chiefs to conduct themselves irresponsibly, selling same plot (piece of land) to many people to result in unnecessary, but costly litigations between the buyers. These same chiefs have been presiding over the sale of their stool lands to the Chinese nationals in Ghana for a pittance; permitting these heartless foreigners to wreak havoc on local cocoa farms, water bodies, fertile and arable lands, forests and to pollute the air, with impunity. They are obstinately doing galamsey, despite government’s directive to the contrary. This is because of the lack of enforcement of the laws, or doing contrary as wished by the underlying mentioned three musketeer-PHD holders.

If laws were respected according as they are written in the nation’s constitution, rules of court and other statute books, would Ghana be sitting today with all these obvious problems on her hands? No! Would there be any need for the youth freedom fighters who are boldly but insultingly taking on the traditional chiefs, especially, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to do as they are doing if laws were respected in the first place? No!

For the avoidance of crimes in Ghana, the youth disrespecting the leadership, laws must work. Everyone must be made to respectvote at general the laws. He who is caught flouting them must be punished accordingly. This is how best to build or develop a nation and a people. The strict adherence to the laws is what has helped make the whiteman’s land the greener pastures that Africans in general and Ghanaians in particular, crave to proceed to fleece. The opposite is what we are seeing in Ghana.

Subsequently, it is just sad and very stupid on the part of some Ghanaian academics like Professor Kwaku Asare aka Azar, Professor H. K. Prempeh and Dr Dominic Ayine to be supportive of the breach of the laws of the land. In many an instance, one will find these mentioned individuals come out to support or argue vociferously in favour of those people or organisations flouting the laws.

When the Electoral Commission decided on the eligibility of the Ghanaian voter in conformity with the 1992 Republican Constitution, one could clearly see Kwaku Azar and Henry Prempeh siding with the irrelevant and obviously stupid opposition mounted by the NDC to derail the noble decision by the EC. In every nation of sensible people, their laws require that only those of the nation’s nationality or citizenship can vote in their general elections to elect the president and parliamentarians.

The Ghana constitution presently in force has defined who a Ghanaian is; how to acquire Ghanaian citizenship and who can vote in general elections. However, when the EC was implementing the laws and regulations, these people kicked against it. They wanted non-Ghanaian citizens in possession of then voters card obtained using National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card for national identity, to be registered on to the new voter register. They were not ready to accept the facts as stated in the constitution and invoked by the EC.

When Auditor General Daniel Yao Domelevo was directed by His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to proceed on leave to exhaust his almost two or three years accumulated annual paid holiday leave, the same mentioned professors above and their agents and assigns went on rampage. They were again on the side of the NDC levelling all sorts of accusations, although spuriously, against the president and his government. The president cited the law and precedent to support his order to Daniel Yao Domelevo proceeding on compulsory annual paid holiday leave yet, these academics who in their figment of imagination are the apex authority on all matters in Ghana, did vehemently oppose the president. However, their arguments were conspicuously flawed, in total contravention of the constitutional stipulations and public service act.

When same Daniel Yao Domelevo was required by law to proceed on retirement on attaining the retirement age of sixty years, the same professors made their voice heard, but as usual, against the law. What at all is wrong with these academics who unknowingly to themselves are becoming nuisance and a disgrace to the academia?

There is this Dr Dominic Ayine, a law lecturer and former Deputy Attorney General. He knows very well that court cases are decided based on facts, submitted credible evidence and precedents. Again, the burden of proof lies with the plaintiff. Thus, “In criminal cases, the burden of proof is on the prosecution, and the standard required of them is that they prove the case against the defendant “beyond reasonable doubt”. However, former President John Dramani Mahama in his claim to have won presidential election 2020, went to the Supreme Court empty-handed. He went without any shred of evidence. His principal witnesses also made big fools of themselves. They became hostilities of laughter when they were exposed by their lies.

Dr Dominic Ayine, a member of former President Mahama’s Supreme Court’s petition legal defence team, still thought the Supreme Court were biased. The court prejudicially, partisanly, decided the case against his client and party’s head, he claims. What the highest degree of stupidity ever to be committed by a law lecturer! He lectures law but does not appreciate the laws in their implementation and interpretations.

When he is referred to the General Legal Council to explain his attacks on the Supreme Court being prejudiced in the 2020 presidential election petition filed at the Supreme Court by former President cum presidential candidate for the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, the named professors do opine that the court and the NPP government are stifling freedom of speech and free press. What a bunch of crap or diarrheic idea by these “all knowing” professors.

Finally, we have people like Franklin Kodjo, the founder and CEO of IMANI Africa/Ghana (CSO), also behaving irresponsibly, partisanly, and anti-law, anti-Supreme Court and anti-EC as the mentioned PhD holders.

They don’t want the laws to work as they are enshrined in the statute books but according to their malicious interpretations which beget evilness. Partisanship, desire to acquire quick buck but dubiously, courting fame and taking all other Ghanaians for fools may be the driving force behind how the mentioned highly educated ones do behave the way they do.

Is it not because of such people and their actions that some politicians, traditional chiefs, armed robbers, murderers, etc., are emboldened to do what they do?

If the laws were to work, interpreted and enforced, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, would never dare expropriate hundreds of thousands of hectares of Kumawuman land. For such breaches of the laws with impunity, the youth will become freedom fighters to take on the leaders in the disgusting, but highly praised manner we see and hear happen now.

To hell with all those academics always twisting facts to rather support the infraction of Ghana laws to bring about the level of lawlessness and crimes as we witness in the country today. “The self-confident fool thinks too highly of himself and his opinions, and he shares them freely”. So sad!

Until the laws are changed, they must be respected, interpreted and enforced according as they currently are. If the law states that “fraud vitiates everything, including all contracts”, so must it remain and be applied without the jaundiced interpretations as may be sought by the mentioned partisan and “all knowing” but actually porous academics.

Rockson Adofo

Monday, 7 June 2021

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