Who Killed The Judges – What Lessons Have We Learnt?

That is the question many are asking but so far nobody has attempted to provide a comprehensive and impartial answer. The responses to this very important question have always been to demonise two individuals who are perceived or seen as the targets of the Multimedia Group Ltd’s documentary. Horrific and unpardonable as the incident or crime was, if we want to move forward as a nation then we must analyse or review the incident in its entirety. We must take a look at the behaviours of the murdered (killed) and the murderers (killers). That is justice for all.

The killers have been widely discussed but what did the three judges and the retired major do for which somebody wanted them dead? We need to know whether they abused the state power vested in them in light of the recent Anas exposé on some judges in the country. There are speculations of the motives behind the killing without reference to the content of the Special Investigation Board’s (SIB) report. The people who are very loud on the incident and are enjoying the media frenzy cannot be believed simply because they are ex-convicts who were victims of the revolution. We are being told that the murdered judges were labelled as enemies of the revolution and Major (Rtd) Sam Acquah signed the dismissal letters of Mr Joachim Amartey Kwei and the other demonstrators. The Ga Chief also said that Capt (Rtd) Kwadzo Tsikata had issues with Maj (Rtd) Sam Acquah when they were in Congo without providing details of the conflict. Unsubstantiated allegations of this nature do not help nation building. There is the need to revisit/analyse the AFRC cases which were reviewed by the murdered judges and the circumstances which led to the Amartey Kwei demonstration. It is not fair to gross over the effects of the dismissal on the lives of the affected GIHOC workers in our attempt to piece history together.

The Politics of the Incident and the Documentary

I am unable to tell whether it was by coincidence or design that this documentary has been aired during NPP Government’s regime. It could be recalled that the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) set up by the previous NPP Government also targeted the AFRC regime with the killing of the judges at the centre. In view of this, it is not surprising that Former President Flt Lt (Rtd) J.J. Rawlings has justifiably brought in the killing of the thirty-four (34) women during the first NDC Government’s regime and the assassination of the Ya-Na Yakubu Andani and his forty (40) elders during the previous NPP Government’s regime. Just as there is an attempt to link the PNDC Government to the murder of the judges and the retired military officer so it is widely believed that the NPP Government masterminded the two other aforementioned killings which, unfortunately, the perpetrators are still at large whereas the killers of the judges and the military officer were executed except L/Cpl Amedeka who is still on the run. Multimedia Group Ltd has their work cut out for them thus to look for the perpetrators of the other two unresolved killings to prove that there were no political influence and motivation in their work. Kulungugu bombing should have been the first.

What Lessons have we Learned?
I do not think Ghanaians and the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) have learned any lessons. Judges are selected / appointed from the GBA but the GBA is widely seen and rightly so as a political wing the NPP and, therefore, this perception rightly so transcends to the judges. A good example is Justice Mawulorm Dotse of the Supreme Court. This informed the situation where Justice Dotse’s name was all over in the news when President Akufo- Addo had to appoint the Chief Justice although he was not the most senior justice of the Supreme Court at the time (Note that any lawyer can be appointed as the Chief Justice). The partisan statement made by the former Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood during her swearing in to the Council of State was also not helpful at all. We may have to live with incidents/crimes of this nature so long as people put in positions of trust continue to abuse the state power vested in them to the detriment of the masses.

The whole Ghanaian society is still very dirty and needs cleaning and cleansing; exactly what the AFRC and PNDC Governments/Regimes sought to do. Let us examine ourselves and do sober reflection on/of our lives.

Mr. Sam Okudzeto
The least said about Mr. Sam Okudzeto the better. Mr. Sam Okudzeto has portrayed himself as an agitator all these years even in his old age; he met his match. I remember vividly that in the 1979 general election Mr. Sam Okudzeto and Dr Joe Geker (who later became the Paramount Chief of Mepe Traditional Area by stool name Togbe Kwao Anipati IV) supported Mr. William Ofori Atta (Paa Willie) who was the leader (presidential candidate) of the United National Convention (UNC), the breakaway Akyem group of the Danquah=Busia Tradition. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Victor Owusu led the Ashanti group known as Popular Front Party (PFP). There was a contest between Mr. Sam Okudzeto and Dr Joe Geker for the North Tongu parliamentary candidature of the UNC and Mr Sam Okudzeto won but was eventually defeated by Lawyer Dowokpor of People’s National Party (PNP) in the general election. Mr Sam Okudzeto might be doing something terrible for Dr Joe Geker to turn against him as he said in one his numerous interviews as he enjoys the media frenzy.

Suggestion
I would like to end with an appeal or a suggestion to the Ghana Bar Association and the Bench (Judicial Service)to build/construct a monument or memorial stone beside the Busts of the murdered judges (Martyrs of the Rule of Law) with the inscription “Enemies of the State” to bear the names of the Anas judges and the items they took as bribes (yam, goat, massage bed, money, etc.) to act as a counter reminder when we are holding a memorial celebration/event for the Martyrs of the Rule of Law.

Conclusion
I personally don’t like the behaviours of former President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings but Ghana has gained a lot from the AFRC and PNDC Governments/Regimes. Their mantra of “Probity and Accountability and Power (belongs) to the People” brought about national awakening which we cannot take away from them. Yes, unrepentant former President Rawlings failed to eradicate corruption but we must accept the fact that he has at least apologised for the excesses of the revolution on several occasions and move on.

Ghana’s history cannot be complete without talking about “Kalabule” and Hoarding and the popular acclamation “Let the blood flow”. I lived through and saw it all. A revolution which turned on itself and punished its architects and members of the ruling council who violated the law must be celebrated to constantly remind us of the past. The condemnation must stop.