Taming the dogs – Nana Kyei’s take

Taming the dogs - Nana Kyei's take

The Justice William Atuguba-led panel of judges at the Supreme Court have been firm in ensuring no one erodes the authority of the court, especially during the 8-month long hearing of the 2012 Election Petition.



Politics of insinuations, casting of sneer at integrity, trading in derogatory remarks coupled with the use of invectives in addressing authorities seems to be out of regulations in the current line of politicking in Ghana. Conceivably these happenings have crushed the moral fabrics of our societies and the conspicuous leakages into the moral corridors are quite perceptible.

In the sheer absence of intimidation, the court’s intervention to block these leakages by citing examples of such kind for contempt following unsavory and derogatory remarks which seek to impune the integrity and hold the authority of the court to ransom is presumably a positive attempt to avert the ugly noises detrimental to court procedure.

Although this exercise is aimed at curtailing the over-sprouting tension in the political atmosphere and avert the possibility of subverting the authority of the court, but to some politicians the predilections and biases are quite obvious . It’s rather no surprise to notice the kind of sharp criticisms emanating from both experts of the law and human rights activists.

It is therefore convincing to cogitate in affirmation that this move has indeed placed uncultured and unregulated political noises into checks, keeping the unspoken corollaries under keys and locks.

The looming threat of impunity and sheer disregard for the court’s authority ahead of the impending declaration of the election petition are not imperceptible to the discovery of the panel of judges adjudicating the petition which seeks to decide the fate of the president and would therefore go every length to cure such a mischief in anyway necessary provided their actions are not in conflict with the fundamental laws of the land.

After hauling Sammy Awuku, the deputy communications director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to answer contempt charges coupled with imprisonment of two others, the warning message of the court seemed to have gone down deeper with every Ghanaian except two, Sir John and Hopeson Adorye who are currently undergoing a mental marathon about the kind of responses likely to extricate them from being thrown into jail.

The two are implicated in a very complicated situation with the law as all Ghanaians focus on their preparedness to face the Supreme Court of the land on Wednesday to answer contempt charges following their irresponsible statements made which risked plunging the nation into the state of anarchy. The several warnings of the court and the subsequent incarceration of Ken Kuranchie and Stephen Atubiga had failed to grant the two a sense of perspective.

In a larger spectrum, looking at how the executive arm which is the most powerful arm of government with all the state machineries at its disposal is often exposed to massive vilifications on flippant issues for unjustifiable politically motivated reasons, I think it’s only a pre-emptive measure occasioned by the court to neutralise any attempt to defile and subdue its authority in the face of these happenings.

We have longed to sustain peace but the mundane existence this exercise could not hold a candle to the passion of the peace we’ve been seeking until we completely become devoid of selfishness of any kind.

We now find ourselves in a stage where politics is peddled on tribal lines, unjustifiable accusations, blame games, double standards, playing of charades and obsession with politics of robbery. These are few of the many challenges bedevilling us and the nation is obviously crumbling gradually under the weight of these setbacks. Unfortunately the institutions responsible for clamping these unfamiliar culture of disrespecting the authority of the state have been rendered incapacitated by political interest which stands no profit should the entire venture of peace is thrown in shambles.

After bastardizing all the state institutions the remaining viable institution powered by the constitution to regulate comments on sensitive issues bothering on national security is the court, the court would not risk sacrificing its powers for political considerations and therefore any case before the court for judicial considerations fans around the threat of contempt of court and being unhampered by the bureaucratic chain of commands, the court is in a better position in ensuring the sustenance of peace at any critical juncture even if takes to push the dogs behind bars by cracking the whips.

Ghana, a nation which was once anticipated as surviving on a borrowed time could now raise her head in a pool of deafening hope following the conscientious efforts by the Supreme Court to hold the flame of authority to stabilise the nation without creating least opportunity for war mongers who fervently wish to use the nation as a bargaining chip in propagating their selfish motives.

There is an exponential rise in group interest and therefore the clearance needed to build national interest is naturally revoked.

We must rally behind the crusade being embarked on by the Supreme Court in restoring the sovereignty of the state and in realising this, dispassionate collaboration from all stakeholders are needed for a greater investment.

Letting go all the pretexts and subterfuge, we can finally admit the truth that the nuance of politics may elude us but there is something we should be aware of “the authority of the state must never be tampered with” else we would risk doing an irreparable damage to the foundation of our existence”.

It is my fervent wish the constitution is subjected to immediate amendment to block any attempt which seeks to disrespect the authority of the state especially that of the president whose veneration is kept in the state of desultory.

Genuine criticisms are quite appropriate for a better course of development not insults. The Bible is my witness.

From: Ivan Kyei Innocent/[email protected]
/0206262717.