By: Otchere Darko

Reference: “National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bulsa North James Agaga has indicated that no law in Ghana can bar party foot soldiers from going to the Supreme Court on hearing of the NPP election petition.

“According to the NDC lawyer, party foot soldiers, just like any other citizen in the country, are at liberty to witness proceedings at the Supreme Court, including that of the NPP case. “The MP in a discussion on Citi FM’s Big Issue programme said “preventing party foot soldiers from attending court hearings is unlawful. Nobody can stop them from going to the Supreme Court, and those who were seen at the Supreme Court with canes did not use them on anybody.” [Ghanaweb General News of Saturday, 19 January 2013, headed: “Nobody can stop foot soldiers from going to Supreme Court – NDC Lawyer”; Source: Charles Addo]

The learned NDC lawyer and legislator (Hon James Agaga) may have stated a valid point of law, conjectured from a professional lawyer’s point of view and analysis. From a lay man’s point of view and analysis, however, one may opine that the very essence of the purpose of law, be it human rights law or other, is to protect human beings and the dignity and sanctity of life. While all human beings have some basic rights, including the right to go to the Supreme Court to “witness” some case going on, I, as a lay man, beg to differ from the view expressed by the learned lawyer and legislator who seems to suggest, by virtue of direct or indirect inference, that the NDC “party foot soldiers” who were seen holding “canes” in the precincts of the Supreme Court had a legitimate right to hold them, as long as they (the NDC foot soldiers) “did not use them on anybody”. By extending the argument adduced by the learned lawyer and legislator to its logical conclusion, those NDC foot soldiers would only have breached the law if they had used the “canes” on somebody, or on some people. I beg to disagree with the learned lawyer and legislator on the grounds that by coming to the Supreme Court premises holding “canes”, the NDC foot soldiers were inducing “fear” in their [NPP] political opponents and the [Supreme Court] judges sitting on the case. *Even dogs would feel apprehensive, irritated and provoked, I guess, if they saw human beings standing near them with “canes” in their hands. Political opponents of NDC and the judges at the Supreme Court who saw the NDC foot soldiers holding “canes” at the premises of the court would certainly feel frightened, and might have asked in their heads what precisely was going to happen to them, if proceedings at the court went contrary to the expectation of the foot soldiers.

I was three times surprised to read that the above incident took place. I was surprised, firstly, because no ‘normal’ human beings anywhere in the world will carry “canes” to the premises of the Supreme Court of their country to hear a case going on. Secondly, I was surprised because the NDC foot soldiers were not arrested and charged by the police for carrying “offensive weapons” to the premises the Supreme Court. The third and the most important reason for my being surprised was the fact that no less a person than a lawyer and a legislator was defending the carrying of “canes” to the precincts of the highest court of the land. If a Ghanaian lawyer and legislator finds nothing wrong with the carrying of “canes” to the premises of the Supreme Court of Ghana by foot soldiers of NDC, are we (Ghanaians) moving forward or backward on the ‘democratic barometer’ of Africa, in particular, and the world, in general?

Ghana is currently pitched on the very tip of a steep ‘cliff of destiny’. Whether this nation will fall from its current tall democratic height to the political and economic doldrums that have prevailed [and are still prevailing] in other parts of Africa will depend on what NDC and NPP will do from now onwards, but most especially from the time the Supreme Court delivers its ruling at some future time. NDC, NPP and, in fact, all of us owe Ghana a national duty to prevent this possible fall of our nation from its prevailing national peace and progress to a future of civil war and self-destruction. The much criticised “all die be die” rhetoric of ‘lose-talking’ Nana Akufo-Addo is undoubtedly distasteful; but it is relatively harmless, unless and until those cold words are put into action by some people, be they NPP or NDC members and supporters, with the help of some physically harmful weaponries, be they “canes” or AK 47 riffles.

*NDC and NPP members keep referring to each other as “war-mongering”. The two parties must understand, however, that “it takes two to tango”; as it is said proverbially. If Ghana will be pushed into a civil war, it shall come from the two dominant parties (NDC and NPP). The leadership of these two parties should remember always that it requires real vision from rare leaders to spot a ‘distant tornado’ before it sets in with its destructive power. They (NDC and NPP leadership) should better open their eyes, feel and cool the latent heat smouldering steadily in Ghana’s body politic, though invisibly, before it develops into an unstoppable storm that will destroy this nation’s political achievements chalked over years of physical hard work and painful human sacrifices.

Source: Otchere Darko; (My Political Views {Domestic}).