‘Statesman’ editor failed but was cleared on orders

The former deputy registrar of the Ghana School of Law (GSL), Mr. John Yaw Opoku has said that Mr. Gabby Otchere-Darko, Managing Editor of the Statesman and host of Gabby's Air Time on TV 3 was to repeat his class at the law school but was passed on orders. Testifying before the committee probing Kwaku Ansa-Asare, yesterday, he stated that, one of the issues that precipitated his termination from the school had to do with his insistence that Mr. Otchere- Darko had failed and should have been repeated. Explaining, he said, under the law school regulations, LI 12(96) PNDC law 1984, when a student failed in two subjects, he must be repeated; where the failure was in only one subject, he must be promoted and asked to rewrite his papers. In the case of Gabby however, he had failed two subjects, but when he informed the director about this development he said he had failed only one subject, so must be promoted. Mr. Otchere Darko was taking the preliminary law course (professional law course part 2). Mr. Opoku said he stood his grounds, but Gabby went to Ansa-Asare, who ordered him to allow Gabby to carry on and take his papers as referred ones. According to the witness, despite his insistence that this was improper, Ansa-Asare had his way and Gabby was allowed to proceed to the final stage and eventual completion. Mr. Opoku who declared that he had never been queried throughout his professional career, spanning fifteen years, including a stint at WAEC, said he was shocked when the very week, during which he had an encounter with Gabby over his results, he received a letter terminating his appointment. He told the committee that he felt very sad for the defence of the General Legal Council, chaired by the Chief Justice Mr. George Kingsley Acquah. The deputy registrar who said he was at the Law school for three years, noted that there was no administrative set up at the school, which situation had created room for Ansa- Asare to appear to be the sole source of power.