A lawyer, Bright Akwetey is warning Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur against forwarding the petitions for the removal of the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justive, (CHRAJ), Lauretta Lamptey to the Chief Justice.
According to him, since the CHRAJ boss was appointed by President Mahama, the Vice President should not act without the consent of the President.
“The Vice President acts in the absence of the President, but on a sensitive matter like the removal of the ChRAJ boss, CHRAJ is a creature of law, of the constitution, the appointment came from the president, so it will be prudent for the vice president, no matter his views to wait for the president to come before he decides.”
The Nsawam- Adoagyiri, MP Frank Annor Dompreh and others have submitted petitions to the President asking for the removal of the CHRAJ boss.
The Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF) has also announced that it has submitted a petition demanding the impeachment of the Commissioner to the Presidency.
[contextly_sidebar id=”k00IU1IIIINQQ8y2v7NkNV54Y4v9toyO”]Since President Mahama is out of the country, the petitions were received by the Vice President who is acting.
It is unclear if Vice President Amissah Arthur has already forwarded the petitions to the Chief Justice.
However, in an interview with Citi News Bright Akwetey asked the Vice-President, to hasten slowly in taking any decision on the petition received by government so far.
“He should not take any hasty decision, however bad the situation is, he should wait for the president to come. He should not take any hasty decisions,” he added.
But a Senior lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Faculty of Law, Dr. Poku Adusei disagrees.
Dr. Adusei insists that the 1992 constitution mandates the Vice-President to as a matter of urgency forward the petitions to the Chief Justice, since he is currently acting as President.
There have been calls for the removal of the CHRAJ over what many described as the outrageous sum of money spent on her accommodation and the failure of the Commission to tackle issues of national concern.
The Commission reportedly spent over $200, 000 on the rent of Madam Lauretta Lamptey and $180,000 on renovating her official residence.
Even though Madam Lauretta Lamptey has explained the circumstances under which the monies were spent, many insist, she must be removed from office.
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By: Nana Ama Agyemang Asante/citifmonline.com/Ghana