A former Deputy Minister of Information, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has defended former President John Dramani Maama’s comment that the courts have been packed with pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) judges by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He says Mr Mahama spoke the truth.
“Truth fell from@JDMahama ‘s mouth on the matter of packing the courts. Unlike Kufour, Akufo-Addo is a partisan extremist whose only consideration in every decision is his party’s interest. He has packed the courts with many NPP judges to protect his party’s interest period,” Kwakye Ofosu tweeted.
Mr Mahama had indicated the current constitution of the judiciary is New Patriotic Party-inclined as almost all the appointments made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are meant to do his bidding.
“You can see what the current president has done,” the flagbearer of the NDC noted in an address to the 3rd Annual Lawyers Conference of the NDC on Saturday, September 2.
“He has appointed the biggest number of judges onto the bench, it is more than 80 towards 100 and counting. He has packed the court and we know they have packed the court because they want to avoid accountability after they have left office.”
Mr Mahama, therefore, charged the lawyer members of the NDC to get ready for a balancing-out of this act by the President.
“We must be prepared as NDC legal persons to also go onto the bench so that we can balance out the judiciary.
“Currently, the judiciary is packed with NPP-inclined judges because this government has carried out a deliberate policy of putting their people on to the bench. So, I encourage some of you to look at careers on the bench so that we can balance out what the current situation is.”
But he received flak from persons including a former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, who said Mr Mahama’s comments take Ghana back to the dark days.
In a series of tweets, Mr Anyidoho said “It is very scary that the Leader of JJ Rawlings’ NDC is not telling us how he intends to build a Better Ghana but is gleefully shouting about “balancing equation” on the Bench. I am really scared!!! I fear for the future of this country if this is the way forward.
“This is the former President openly telling us how he will implement a destructive partisan agenda within our justice system if given another chance.I have said it already that I can’t support such a dangerous mindset that portends only catastrophe for our nation. Torfiakwa!
“I am respectfully pleading with the National Chairman of NDC & his elected (not appointed) National Executives to tell the nation if it is the Party’s position that the courts will be packed with pro-NDC judges, or it is only the Flagbearer who is desirous of such a dangerous act.
“As fate has it, the history of our beloved NDC does not sit us well with the Justice System (3 High Court Judges murder), & after President Mills did extraordinarily well to bridge the gap, look at what JM is saying – to take us back into our dark past. I weep for my NDC.”
