What has been found to be absolutely important for everyone is to respect local customs, blend in traditional practices and above all respect for constitutional provisions and charter of rights and freedoms.
Everyone should respect the laws and customs ruling sovereign states, kingdoms, countries, nations, cities, and territories, where we find ourselves, and in return expect total provision of security and freedom of living.
Meaning, sprinting through competent courts of jurisdiction is absolutely unbefitting for a person doing anything that the laws of the land does not allow.
So what should be at the back of everybody’s mind is, “When in Rome behave as Romans do.”
Findings from research has indicated that so many people in recent times are having run-ins with laws, instead of being protected by laws, and the need to educate people to be law abiding.
A typical example is the case involving the former Member of Parliament [MP] for Assin North Constituency, Mr. James Gyakye Quayson, who for the past 16 months has been sprinting through the courts in Ghana battling the annulment of his election as an MP for Assin North Constituency.
Mr. Gyakye Quayson is having his heart in his mouth because he failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship before the due process of parliamentary elections was processed as established by article 94[2] of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
The Cape Coast High Court, through Appeals Court to the Supreme Court of the land have all passed judgments on the matter of Mr. Quayson’s ineligibility to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections in Assin North Constituency, and made it open for public comment.
A substantive question Mr. Quayson has failed to answer is whether he was aware the renunciation of Canadian citizenship and receipt of renunciation certificate takes 14 months to finish, and not that the process was delayed?
If Mr. Quayson and his counsel, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata’s, style is not to unduly delay the case in court to deny the chiefs and people of Assin North a representation in parliament as they have made some of us to believe, then they should stop sprinting through the courts, and let the Cape Coast High Court ruling take effect.
It is one thing to understand the law, absolutely obeying it is another.
Checks and double checks have confirmed that when it comes to Ghanaian Canadian dual citizens who renounced their Canadian citizenships and contested elections in Ghana, Mr. Gyakye Quayson is not the only person ever to have gone through the mill.
Findings from investigations have it that Mr. Kwame Nuako, who was a Ghanaian Canadian dual citizen renounced his Canadian citizenship and contested for election in Ghana in 2004. Unfortunately, Mr. Kwame Nuako lost the parliamentary elections and ever since has not returned to Canada.
Other findings from investigations revealed that Mr. Edwin Abaka Williams, who was also a Ghanaian Canadian dual citizen, renounced his Canadian citizenship and twice contested for the Gomoa West parliamentary seat in the Central Region, but unfortunately lost in 2008 and 2012 parliamentary elections, and since then has also not returned to Canada.
It has been established clearly that Mr. Quayson, now aware he might go to jail on criminal charges which will make him inadmissible to Canada in future, is making the case travel through current parliament and get out of trouble.
Every immigrant to Canada first of all goes through a visa acquisition process, and when approved, is given a legal entry permit to Canada. Once in Canada, you are privileged to obtain a resident permit, which is five years or one year renewable, and after that, qualify to obtain a Canadian citizenship, final status in Canada.
To renounce Canadian citizenship, an officer will schedule an interview for the applicant to present his reasons for renunciation. Along the line, if the applicant changes his mind and withdraws the renunciation, he receives a refund, and is allowed to keep his Canadian citizenship.
After renunciation Mr. Quayson was no longer legally allowed to reside in Canada. He should tell Ghanaians whether he was waiting for the mandatory 14 months renunciation process to be completed and a certificate issued him with a date he was supposed to leave the country.
He should please tell Ghanaians what date he was officially billed to leave the country as an illegal immigrant? We must know as Ghanaians to understand if he was at the wrong side of the law.
Mr. Gyakye Quayson, please withdraw, and allow the Cape Coast High Court ruling to take effect, so you could save your head from total disqualification from future elections in Ghana, and not change your sleeping place to “Nsawam Prison”.
BY Stephen Armah Quaye, Toronto-Canada