Ato Forson
Everyday the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is “branding” itself as a party that does not believe in the rule of law. To put it bluntly, it is a lawless party, although some of their leading members respond to the accolade “Learned Friend”, which they carry like a badge of honour.
The NDC, its leader, John Mahama, Jane Naana and the “babies with sharp teeth” have very little regard for the Chief Justice and her team of judges.
Unless the NDC Minority is telling us it is ignorant of the constitutional provisions on separation of powers, Ato Forson will not sit in front of the cameras and challenge a Supreme Court order. Perhaps, he has forgotten that it is the Judiciary as the third arm of government which serves as bulwark against Executive and Legislative abuses by Parliament.
Simply put, the actions of Parliament and the Executive can be challenged in court. Ato Forson is not a lawyer, but we believe the Creator has endowed him with some common sense to appreciate that legal and constitutional disagreements are settled in court.
It is not done through the state on nature, where might rules like the Minority wants to do today to forcibly occupy Majority seats. If that is not lawlessness, we do not know what else is disregard for the rule of law.
We believe there are still reasoned voices on our traditional settings and religious groups who are clothed with enough wisdom to tell the NDC, “petition please, respect the Supreme Court in order not to cause chaos in Parliament.”
We want to see the posturing of Speaker Alban Bagbin in Parliament, in view of the threat from his NDC Members of Parliament (MPs) to occupy Majority seats when the Supreme Court has reversed the Speaker’s directive. Whatever the challenges, Ghana has made strides over the last 30 years of our democratic journey, and we beg of Speaker Bagbin to respect the rule of law.
The late Jerry Rawlings, known to be a dictator, suffered many defeats in court after he became a civilian President in 1993, including the Supreme Court order that state resources could not be used to celebrate the anniversary of the 31st December Revolution. Jerry Rawlings, who was shattered, nonetheless respected the court’s order.
Speaker Bagbin must swallow humble pie and allow the four MPs to continue to serve their constituents until the final determination of the substantive case. In any case, Speaker Bagbin has no choice but to put up with the Supreme Court’s order, otherwise the consequences of further action could be grave.
Speaker Bagbin and the NDC are not above the law.
They should respect their teeming supporters who believe the party is being led astray.
Nobody requires to be a lawyer to see the futility and recklessness of the actions of the NDC Minority. And the “wisemen” in the NDC such as Huudu Yahaya, Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Tsatsu Tsikata, Mahama Iddrisu, Doe Adjaho and Tony Aidoo must show leadership before the “babies with sharp teeth” hijack the party for the looming national disgrace.
We ask these leaders whether they ever considered what would have happened to Ghana, if the edict by Speaker Bagbin had happened in a parliamentary democracy? It would have necessitated an early election for a new Prime Minister and in the interim created a power vacuum.
The NDC is not ready to learn, and that is why the leadership has never believed in the free Senior High School (SHS) to liberate the minds of the youth from mental slavery or to become more discerning to appreciate which policies will advance the national cause.
Even when the Supreme Court has reversed the decision that made the NDC the Majority in Parliament, the NDC Minority led by Ato Forson has the guts to invite the media to an engagement describing itself as the NDC Majority Caucus. The very first year law student knows the NDC Minority by masquerading as the Majority in Parliament must be in contempt of the Supreme Court order.
Ato Forson as a layman is better reminded of the landmines before the Supreme Court shows him his real level in our society, like the embarrassment suffered by Speaker Bagbin.