Ms. Lauretta Lamptey
Pressure continues to mount on embattled chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Lauretta Lamptey, to resign her post.
Ms Lamptey has come under severe criticisms and attack for causing the taxpayer to foot a whopping $180,000 hotel bill over a period of three years as well as renovation works on her official residence.
The Auditor-General has since commissioned an audit into the matter.
Latest to join the several calls for her resignation is pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), which insists the CHRAJ Commissioner must still do the honourable thing ‘by resigning from her post immediately and save us this great injustice she is doing to the Ghanaian tax payer.’
Should she fail to resign, AFAG has served notice that it would organize a demonstration to press home its demands.
Reason
This, the group said, was because ‘The credibility of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) which is supposed to serve as an ombudsman receiving and dealing with complaints about the proper functioning of public institutions and provide redress, has been dragged into the mud by the financial indecency of greedy Ms Lauretta Lamptey.’
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, AFAG Chairman, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie said, ‘It is shocking that His Excellency John Mahama continues to look on unconcerned as members of the NDC government continue to misuse and misappropriate limited state resources to the detriment of the larger populace.’
AFAG faulted the appointment of Laureta – a lawyer who had practised investment banking all her life – unlike Emile Short who was practising law prior to his appointment. According to the group, ‘The mere fact that Lauretta was publicly forced to resign from the board of Ghana Commercial Bank, should have signaled her love for extravagance and how much out-dated she was with the practice and understanding of the law.’
Justification
‘CHRAJ’s integrity has been greatly compromised by the recent behaviour of Ms. Lauretta Lamptey and this may adversely affect the public’s view of this imperative institution,’ Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie said, wondering if the embattled CHRAJ boss would have the moral right to sit on cases reported to her office for redress.
It was for this reason, Dr. Afriyie said, ‘AFAG humbly calls on the CHRAJ boss to do the honourable thing by resigning from her post immediately and save us this great injustice she is doing to the Ghanaian tax payer. The CHRAJ boss joins an endless list of government officials who have used and abused state resources anyhow without any remorse or concern for the ordinary tax payer.’
Concern
In an era where activists across the continent are clamouring for the involvement of more women in top positions, Dr Afriyie indicated, ‘It is appalling that Ms. Lauretta Lamptey would disgrace this affirmative course and making it difficult for more women to be trusted in government.’
AFAG expressed concerned that ‘These individuals responsible for this great injustice against mother Ghana are either shielded by President John Mahama and his NDC government or the president tends to express genuine apathy at the outcry of Ghanaians.’
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
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