Ghana's Judicial System Not Fit For Purpose.... Mansa Musa Writes

The Anas, Kennedy Agyapong saga. Truth be told, our Judicial system is not fit for purpose.

If we are not minded, not worried, not ashamed and not disturbed about what has happened in an American court, then we might as well close shop, handover the keys to those in London or in Washington.

I am coming to the fact that ours has fallen below the shithole threshold. Sometimes I sit in deep thoughts with myself alone asking, who do we think we are deceiving.

• Why do we keep pretending that we great when we are not
• Why do we think we are good when we are not
• Why do we think we are righteous when we are not
• Why do we think we are doing well when we are not.
• Why do we think we are as good as others when clearly, we are not.
• Why Why Why and more whys.

I can continue with this monotonous verbiage and verbitribes for infinity. My red, burdensome angst is defined in the painful realisation that something that my grandfather complained about even in the nineteen sixties(1960s) has deteriorated and degenerated into deep, depthness abyss. The Judiciary, a court system he thought at the time wasn't functioning or wasn't operating properly has now lost its way completely. How come.

Lack of trust in Judiciary, very dangerous

In the sixties when mansa musa was a wee, little boy, plying my terrible mischievous trade on the dusty streets and in the thick forests surrounding the fantse town of Abura Dunkwa. Mansa Musa was also regarded as a smart-arse, loveable little devil(mugu yaro) and considered a sharp boy at the Abura Dunkwa Methodist Primary School, where history says Dr. Kwegir Aggrey taught looong before mansa musa. My grandfather in his occasional frustration with the Judiciary and with the judicial system even at that time, would lament in that pure beautiful fantse language that one judge Moses(not real name).

Goats & Sheep gifts to judges started looong before Anas

That the judge who had adjudicated in a certain land case since when mansa musa was not even born. My grandad would complain that he and the other members of the aburadze clan had paid good moneys to lawyers and quietly presented yams, plantain, kontomere, goats and fowls to the judge but still the case wasn't going anywhere fast. He, my grandad use to say that at that rate, he was sure mansa musa will grow, become a man, work all his life and go into retirement and that case will still be pending in the courts.

Despondency, loss of trust in state structures breeds lawlessness

My grandad and his mates were so frustrated that at times they yearned for those olden times when opposing clans would go into physical battle with cutlasses and machetes to retrieve what belonged to them. That was the disappointment, the despondency with Judiciary and court systems. Trust in our justice system has sunk so low that even today some in various places believe rather in wielding power in their own hands through the use of guns and other weapons, unfortunately.

Well, I am not quite sure my grandad's case is pending in the Abura Dunkwa magistrate court. But this story speaks of the depths of despair, the painful frustrations our forebears went through and for which many in our society today are still experiencing on the back of this abject and hopelessly disfunctioning judicial system in Ghana.

Judges and lawyers are to be respected, not worshipped

In Ghana the Judiciary has become the untouchables(I'm not sure if it is the same in other Africa countries). No one dares to speak straight to the Judiciary. Even when they are wrong, we dare not cough. Well, of course unless your name is Kennedy Agyapong, who does not just speak straight to the Judiciary but actually do insult them occasionally and goes away scot free. Strangely Mr Anas Aremeyew Anas is so much despised in Ghana for the very reason he is revered and feted by others outside Ghana. How can this be the case. Anas did spend a lot of time, sometimes in dangerous ways in order to unearth the rot, the absolute corrupt practices within the Judiciary, all for what.

To overcome corruption. Anas/Erastus Asare should be trusted over Kennedy and other politicians

He, Anas and many decerning Ghanaians thought this was a good job carried out and expected authorities, we expected those in charge to make useful, the findings in Anas's work but rather, he has almost become public enemy in Ghana. What does this say about us. Even people who's lives have been adversely affected by judicial misnomer have taken sides with the very system that has provided and still providing disservice to them.

Shame! Justice for the few in Ghana
What has just happened in faraway America, where Anas, knowing he's been denied justice in his own land, took his case to for a fairer review. If we are not ashamed, if we are not worried, if we don't feel disgraced then we better close shop and transfer our justice delivery base from Accra to either London or Washington. Fellow citizens, for once let's sit up and pronounce it when it is deserved and say that our Judiciary system isn't working, that it is in shambles.

Not too late to learn from those who know

The system is in earnest need for a reset, a rebuild, a reform, needs rearranging. The quicker and bolder we will be, the better. Whatever others have been able to do that has resulted in a system that is so reliable that we wished it was ours, whatever they've done to get their Judiciary systems well and proper, we must also copy such methods. It is not too late. We must be ready to learn. We can not carry on like this for ever. Sentence end. It is finished.