Samuel Okudzeto
A former president of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Samuel Okudzeto, spoke the minds of most Ghanaians when he expressed disappointment about the quality of remarks some of us make on radio.
Such utterances, while they impugn upon the work of the judiciary, showcase a country which has suddenly lost the values which endeared it to the civilized world for most part of her post-independence history.
He told a radio station yesterday about how when he travels outside the country, he is embarrassed about questions posed to him concerning what has gone amiss in Ghana.
Political expediency has beclouded every debate and it appears that some politicians pass certain remarks which compel people to doubt the credentials they are known to possess.
What is the sense in David Annan’s assertion while contributing to a radio discussion last week that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was responsible for the murder of the three high court judges? He added that had the NPP continued being in power, the Chief Justice would have been dead by now. Such crass irresponsible remarks speak volumes about their source and we can only feel sorry about the state the country has degenerated into.
If this is the calibre of persons advising the Mills administration on legal issues, then there is little wonder that they are unable to make headway in the high profile cases they initiate in the judiciary. When they lose such cases, they do not shut up but go on to cast a slur on the gentlemen and the ladies on the bench.
Mr. Okudzeto said that the loss of cases by government does not augur well for the image of the state and should be mused over, and we agree with him.
The general impression the ruling party seeks to create about the judiciary, especially on the airwaves, through their so-called legal team is not in the interest of the administration of justice. With the possibilities offered by the information superhighway, nothing happens in the country without the rest of the world hearing about it within minutes.
When we therefore pass such ridiculous comments and expect them to remain within the confines of our country, we must be dreaming.
Let us, especially those of who are held in high esteem in society, be mindful about how we talk so that the dearth of role models for our youth would be remedied.
Access to what informed David Annan’s remarks about the murder of the three high court judges and the retired Army Major would put us in a better stead to understand his predisposition. We may never know that and would just manage the fact that not all lettered and learned persons can pass informed and sound remarks on delicate issues about governance.
