To Show “Visionary and Decent” Leadership

By Otchere Darko

Reference: “CJ must probe bribery claim against election petition Judges”; [Ghanaweb General News of Wednesday, 6 November 2013 Source: radioxyzonline.com]

On 3rd November 2013, the Chief Justice was reported to have said “Ghana urgently needs visionary and decent leaders”; [General News of Sunday, 3 November 2013, Source: Joy Online].

I could not agree more with Her Lordship Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood.

With corruption in government and other public offices having now become the biggest problem facing the nation, integrity is the scarcest ‘commodity’ in Ghana at the moment. This country cannot progress if corruption and other forms of abuse of public office are not kept under control. It is for this reason that the alleged comment by the Chief Justice was seen by me as having been made at the most appropriate and timely juncture in Ghana’s history.

Nonetheless, when I read the report at Ghanaweb I was unable to commend the Chief Justice for the statement allegedly made by her. That was because the Chief Justice has failed up till now to come out publicly to say something about the bribery allegation that has been made against some of the nine Justices who sat on the election challenge against the declaration of President Mahama as the winner of the last presidential election.

Allowing such damning allegation against [some] members of the highest court in the land to stand unchallenged is sadly not one of the good traits of “visionary and decent leaders” that Her Lordship Mrs Justice Wood recommends to Ghana.

Now that Dr Arthur Kennedy has thrown a challenge to her, I believe, Mrs Justice Theodora Wood will not continue to do nothing about an allegation that has come to deepen the general Ghanaian perception of corruption within the Ghana’s judicial services.....a perception that has deeply dented the integrity of the Ghanaian Judiciary.

The fact that the allegation of bribery levelled against [some of] the nine Supreme Court judges was made on the internet is not an excuse for the Chief Justice to do nothing. We all know that the source any cyber crime, or publication can be successfully traced if there is the will matched by determination.

It is time for the Chief Justice to demonstrate what she preaches.