It is important to stress that, the early warning signs or indicators to throw a country into chaos are not far from us as a country. For this reason, I vehemently deem it important to use this medium to send a word of caution to all the security architectures in this country including the judiciary that, it is eminent on their side to embrace the spirit of patriotism and put the peace and the stability of our dear country Ghana first in their forward decisions and that any attempt to use the judiciary or legal approach to restrain or stop the former president John Dramani Mahama from contesting the 2024 general election will throw the country into chaos.
Let me emphasize that, the judiciary plays a crucial role in ensuring national security
and its recent perception by the citizens as a biased institution is a clear warning sign that citizens may be forced to take the law into their own hands if it happens that the former president is restrained from contesting the 2024 general election by the supreme court.
What is more dangerous in relation to this development is that, in recent months, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in particular has accused the judiciary of being biased because the party has lost a string of cases before the courts including the most recent verdict on Hon James Gyakye Quayson, member of parliament for Assin North in the Central region who, the NDC believe the government has manipulated the supreme court to order for his name to be removed from parliament.
Although the judiciary’s role is paramount in helping to safeguard the security of the country, injustice delivery can throw the country into chaos. The ultimate responsibility to safeguard the peace of this country lies squarely at the feet of members of Ghana’s judiciary system who are entrusted by the law with the power to ensure effective justice delivery.
In fact, as a student of peace, I was taught a number of approaches that can be used to ensure peace, and among those approaches is the legal approach. It is also important to stress the fact that, this same legal approach to peace can cause conflict or war if justice is denied.
I must say vehemently that, am really worried about this development in our body politics where politicians think they can have their way to power using the judiciary, most especially under a regime of government beìng characterized by realism sort of behavior.
Witnessing the recent unanimous decision trend by the supreme court gives me a strong impression that anything can happen without the court considering the security implications of its decision.
I say with my strong analytical spectacle that Ghana must learn from the current state of Senegal.
Sign
Anthony Acquaye ( Masters in Security, KAIPTC)
Security Policy Expert
0556783703
