When Scrutiny Turns Into Siege: Kozie’s Open Letter To The Vice President
Your Excellency,
I trust this letter finds you well. News of your return home has brought a welcome sense of refreshment to a national and political landscape that can often feel overly toxic and cynical. During your time away, my thoughts often returned to the cheerful words of encouragement you shared with me years ago. While I’m discreet about making your specific words public, anyone who has engaged with you would recognise your unwavering belief in the competence and depth of the Ghanaian woman.
It is for one such daughter, sister, and mother that I write to you today.
As you are aware, His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, has acted on petitions seeking the removal of Chief Justice Her Ladyship Gertrude Esaaba Torkornoo. Subsequently, acting on the non-binding advice of the Council of State, the President has suspended the Chief Justice pending the determination of these petitions. Beyond this, the distinguished Chief Justice has endured egregious ill-treatment by investigative agencies, experiencing a denial and maligning of her rights in ways unprecedented for her high office. Any observer not exercising extreme restraint can only conclude that there is a deliberate and concerted effort not only to remove Madam Torkornoo, but also to subject her to the highest possible form of public ridicule.
What began as scrutiny has swiftly transformed into a siege, and our democracy suffers alongside its distinguished daughter.
I address you, Madam Vice President, because I know you. I know you just as every woman and young girl in this country does. You are the icon who ascended to Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, the just and fair woman who now occupies an office never before held by another woman. For all our strides, there has always been a ceiling to shatter or a locked door to open. In unlocking this door, you reminded us with those poignant words: “What really matters is not first to come through the door, what matters is holding the door open for those behind to enter.”
When you spoke those words, you addressed not only the Ghanaian women of the future but also acknowledged the women who came before you, knocking on that very door. Women like Justice Georgina Wood, our first female Chief Justice. She, too, like yourself, believed that merely entering was insufficient; her duty was to hold the door open for those who followed. And indeed, she held it beautifully, enabling Justice Sophia Akuffo’s elegant entrance in 2017. In that beautiful moment in 2023, Chief Justice Torkornoo was sworn in. Why, then, is she not merely being pushed out, but also being bruised and embarrassed on her way out?
I am not oblivious to the political, social, and legal undertones of this pursuit. It is not lost on me that pre-election commentary indicated Mrs. Torkornoo’s position was under threat following the NDC’s victory. What was not said was that she would be robbed of her dignity. It is this dignity that I implore you to intervene and restore.
Dear Madam Vice President, help restore it by entreating the President and his administration to cease the violation of the Chief Justice’s rights. The random searches, the seizure of mobile devices, the home invasions, and the synchronised media trials must end. The tone and tactics being employed to discredit and oust the Chief Justice send a deeply concerning signal in the year Ghana celebrates its first female Vice President.
While we may hold differing views on the perceived frivolity of the petitions, it is crucial to understand that this is not about shielding any official from accountability. It is about safeguarding the dignity of our institutions and the message we convey to every Ghanaian girl with dreams. Madam Vice President, during your unveiling as then-Flagbearer Mahama’s running mate, he emphasised that you bring integrity and truth to the ticket, providing a necessary balance. It is for this reason that I write today, urging you to use your moral leadership to rise above the fray and call this nation back to its better self. Justice must not be sacrificed on the altar of vendetta. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done.
The Majority Leader, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, has indicated the government’s intent to table legislation on the processes to remove a Chief Justice. This, in itself, is an admission that the present process is flawed and that any well-meaning Ghanaian should not pursue this current means to remove the Chief Justice.
Madam Vice President, this nation has always been brimming with promise. That promise propelled us to independence. That promise saw us through the tense moments of the 2024 election. Indeed, that promise safeguarded and facilitated your ascendancy to the Vice Presidency. That promise, reflecting in your journey, is more than personal; it symbolises Ghana’s progress. Will you stand by as that promise is battered, just as Justice Torkornoo is being battered? Will you allow purveyors of injustice to tarnish Ghana’s reputation and its institutions, or will you rise not just as Vice President, but as a woman who knows what it means to lead against the odds?
Madam Vice President, your voice carries immense weight. Use it, not just for the Chief Justice, but for justice itself.
Respectfully,
Akosua Asaa Manu
A Ghanaian Woman