Former President John Mahama has called on the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to shed its perceived partisan leanings and consistently advocate for national interest, regardless of the political party in power.
During a meeting with organized labour representatives in Kumasi, Mahama criticized the GBA’s apparent silence on certain critical issues under the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, contrasting it with their vocal stances during past National Democratic Congress (NDC) governments.
He cited specific examples where the GBA’s silence seemed deafening, including alleged human rights violations and questionable government decisions.
This, Mahama argued, undermines the Bar Association’s credibility and raises concerns about its commitment to upholding justice and accountability for all Ghanaians.
“GBA spoke about perception. Well, what’s the reality? Does the GBA go to sleep when the NPP is in power and wake up when the NDC is in power? We will see. In 2025, we will see whether you will wake up. But it’s true. You know yourselves that it is true that when the NPP is in power they do the most outrageous things and you are quiet.”
“And yet when NDC is in power the least mistake and GBA has issued a press release. And you know it’s true. So the point is the truth is one and the truth is the same under Rawlings, it is the same under Kufuor, it is the same under Mills, it is the same under John Mahama, it is the same under Akufo-Addo. The truth does not change.”
“And so if you are concerned with people’s rights, you are concerned with protecting human rights and freedoms, you must be consistent under any administration not only concerned under some administrations and not under other administration,” John Mahama stated.
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Meanwhile, the Parliament’ary Committee on Defence and Interior has recommended compensation for residents of Ashaiman brutalized by the military in March 2023.
The brutal incident took place on March 7, 2023, following the death of a soldier in the area. The attack on civilians in Ashaiman sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.
In a report issued on Friday, the committee indicated that following the evidence adduced and the legal framework concerning the event “persons brutalised by the military in Ashaiman on 7th March 2023, who sustained various degrees of injury should be promptly and adequately compensated by the state.”
“The compensation must be extended to cover those persons whose properties were destroyed in the course of the military swoop.”
The committee unequivocally condemned the use of excessive force against civilians, stating its “hate for any form of torturous handling of civilians by the military and other security agencies.”
The committee further urged the Ghana Armed Forces leadership to educate personnel on “the legal demands and consequences of such acts.”
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