Dr. Kwaku Anane-Gyinde, a distinguished law lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has characterized President John Dramani Mahama’s initiative to remove Ghana’s Chief Justice as an execution of the NDC’s predetermined agenda.
The legal expert in an interview with this reporter observed that the assertions made by NDC communicators, even prior to the 2024 elections, suggest that the party has already resolved to employ any means necessary to dismiss the Chief Justice, hence her suspension.
He remarked that the NDC, through their spokespersons, pledged to unseat the Chief Justice and the Electoral Commissioner, Jean Mensah, indicating that this is the precise trajectory they are adhering to.
He underscored that it is a perilous decision being undertaken by the president, warning that if not addressed with caution, it could undermine judicial trust in the nation, potentially plunging the country into a failed state where laws are disregarded, with individuals acting according to their own whims, thereby jeopardizing the peace and security of the nation.
Dr. Kwaku Anane-Gyinde criticized the NDC for their persistent opposition to the judiciary, asserting that the political history and tradition of the NDC and its leadership have been marked by assaults and the removal of judges from their positions whenever judgments are not rendered in their favor.
He referenced three distinct instances involving former President J.J. Rawlings in 1981 during the military era, resulting in the removal of three judges, continuing through to Prof. Ata Mills’ administration in 2009, and extending to the current administration of John Mahama, which has witnessed efforts to unseat the current Chief Justice, who has now been suspended.
Dr. Anane-Gyinde counseled the President to adhere to the nation’s legal framework, emphasizing that his current position is subject to these laws and that he must honor the country’s legal stipulations.
Clarifying the provisions of Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, which delineates the procedures for the removal of the Chief Justice, he asserted that the President has transgressed the Constitution and urged him to comply with its mandates to avert potential turmoil.
