We would like to register our protest at the veiled threats being issued against the judiciary by the NDC in connection with the sentencing of Abodakpi. While this is not new, we are concerned about the worrying frequency with which NDC members of parliament, our law makers, who should know better, blatantly take sides in matters of the law without due regard to serious conflict of interest that arises.

As usual, the NDC have boycotted parliament and under very coded messages threatened judges dealing with other cases involving NDC members. Yet at that same time they claim that they are committed to the rule of law. The NDC assert that “a firm and fair judiciary is a critical cornerstone of democratic governance all over the world” Yes we in the newCPP agree. That is why we are calling on them to stop interfering with our judicial processes. They should stop threatening judges and government officials anytime the thieves and criminals among them are brought before the law.

The NDC claim that the government is using criminal legislation as a tool for persecution of political opponents. Well let us address the question- is this selective prosecution? In order to demonstrate that NDC functionaries are being selectively prosecuted they would need to do this statistically ie they would need to show us the proportion of people being sentenced in our courts who are NDC functionaries. How many Ministers/MPs did the (P)NDC have throughout its twenty years? How many have come to court? Is John Mahama in court? What of Mills, Spio Garbah, Asaga, Tony Aidoo et al? To use the sentencing of a few people as the basis for such a statement is not only misleading, it clearly shows that the NDC is only concerned about NDC big shots and not concerned about embedding the rule of law in Ghana. If they believed in the rule of law they would be advising the criminals among them to get the best legal advice possible. Even the mafia have lawyers! But fellow Ghanaians, perhaps deep down these NDC guys know that their ex-minister is as guilty as hell? Perhaps they know that it is through such fathom projects that they have financed their lifestyles and party while bleeding the nation dry? They argue further that the money is still sitting in the frozen account of Dr. Fred Boadu at ECOBANK. So what? Lets clarify their self-made confusion with a simple scenario; if you catch a thief who has stolen a car, if the stolen car is still in his garage or the garage of his accomplice, does that lesson the crime? The money in the account is evidence of guilt not innocence.

Now listen to them winge: Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, Member of Parliament, (MP) for Lawra/Nandom, told the GNA in Parliament that the Judge after convicting Abodakpi, did not go ahead to take mitigation from the Defence. Well Doctor, since when did mitigation become not guilty? Ms Akua Dansua, NDC-North Dayi, said it was as if the Judge had a pre-conceived mind in passing the sentence. Well, honourable MP Akua, the judge has been listening and cross checking the facts since 2002.

And Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, NDC-Asawase, says that it was sad that in an effort to serve one's country one should end up in jail. Honourable Alhaji, do you call transferring $400,000 of public funds to an accomplice who pretends to be carrying out research in his official capacity as a university lecturer is serving the country? Do you think being an MP or minister is the only way to serve the country? Nurses, tro-tro drivers, teachers all serve the country and they don’t end up in Jail. Thieves end up in jail, because that’s where they belong.

We must all be steadfast in our determination to ensure that the peace and tranquility that we have enjoyed over the past few years is not undermined by people who don’t respect the very institutions of democracy that ensure that they can walk about in peaceful Ghana notwithstanding their heinous past. After 20 years of preaching accountability, after 20 years of locking up people without the due process of the law, after stripping Ghanaian women naked in the streets for daring to run their own businesses, after confiscating peoples assets, after looting state property and dividing state assets amongst themselves, after shooting people for 50,000 cedis loans, after the flagrant abuse of people’s rights, these same people turn round today and say that they are boycotting parliament because one of their ex-ministers has been caught stealing money from Ghanaians.

What is clear for all to see is the hypocrisy that sums up NDC’s philosophy. Today the NDC stands for National Double-standards Congress.

NDC has some good people within it, but the party is institutionally corrupt, violent, vindictive, and totally against the rule of law. They preach what they never practice. We must never forget this..

Fellow Ghanaians, Ghana Deserves Better. A newCPP government will bring all those who have stolen state assets to justice. Africa is where it is today because we are unwilling to deal boldly with corruption and white collar crime. People in the west do not have better brains than we have, but they are willing to prosecute crime when they see it. They are willing to enforce the law and to separate their politics from their justice system to create a just and fair society for all. We can do the same.

Join the newCPP so that we can together build a new movement for a morally and ethically sound political leadership. Email us at ournewcpp@yahoo.com.

Lest we forget, well done to Justice Farkye. Against NDC intimidation, he managed to deliver a verdict.