In a new statement, Mr. Amidu said the appointment of new heads for the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the National Commission on Civic Commission (NCCE) and the signing of ‘last minute’ contracts reinforces his conviction for the pre-election call upon the electorate to vote out the “incumbent looter Mahama.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”X73oOCqebt7MgUkK70myqnI3shIKrdmw”]President Mahama on Tuesday swore in  new heads for CHRAJ and the NCCE, a move which the incoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has described as being duplicitous given prior agreements made during transition team meetings.

The government has also been criticized for the signing of various contracts including an €18 million e-waste contract signed by the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mahama Ayariga days after the party’s defeat at the December 7 polls.

The NPP has since served notice of its possible intent to review the CHRAJ Commissioner and other last-minute appointments made by the outgoing administration.

In the article, the former Attorney General indicated that “one would have thought that the massive defeat of the Looter Government never witnessed in the annals of Ghanaian history would make it circumspect of how it handles the last days of its dying pangs as a Looter Government so that the Independent Prosecutor may have mercy upon them. Unfortunately impunity and corrupt behavior once internalized is difficult to change over-night as subsequent events show.”

“What is going on in the transition to the new Government reinforces my conviction for my pre-election call upon the electorate to vote out the incumbent looter Mahama Government to stop the plundering of the public purse and get our looted monies back.”

“When I look at how the Looter Government is preparing its final exit after its miserable and unprecedented defeat at the polls, I am left in no doubt that Ghana would have been bankrupted with another four years of this looter Government in power,” Mr. Amidu stated.

Mr. Amidu also questioned new CHRAJ’s boss’ Joseph Whittal’s commitment to fighting corruption given his handling of the Mabey and Johnson case and his  “whitewashing” of the Ford Gift saga.

“My kinsman is being appointed the Commissioner for the CHRAJ when after wasting the public purse up to the Supreme Court to contest whether or not the suspects in the Mabey and Johnson case could be investigated for corruption he chose to go to sleep after promising he was going to investigate using the trove of credible evidence I sent CHRAJ in the case as Attorney General.”

“This same kinsman of mine whitewashed the Ford Expedition Saga even though he knew the CHRAJ had no jurisdiction over the President because the Attorney General could not prosecution him even if he were found culpable by CHRAJ,” the former AG noted.

Find Mr. Amidu’s full article here

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Last minute’ appointments a manifestation of NDC’s corruption – Amidu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

At the moment, the President can do anything he is mandated to do as he is still the Head of State, Mr. Abotsi said on the Citi Breakfast Show, but he questioned if such appointments were on the right side of the moral spectrum.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NRJOUpuDjMON2Rz5ZMYmvAdW63O6lZEb”]This follows President Mahama’s swearing-in of the new heads for the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

The incoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has said these appointments were in bad faith and has indicated it may review these and other appointments when it assumes the mantle of governance.

President Mahama was also subsequently sued by Lawyer Philip Addison who believes the President erred in these appointments and is thus seeking to restrain him from using his last days in office to make such decisions.

Nonetheless, Mr. Abotsi is of the view that “till the Supreme Court speaks, the President has the power to act until the midnight of the 6^th of January.”

“So in the circumstance of where we stand at the moment, the government has acted properly. Legally speaking, on the face of the text of the constitution, the President is right.”

Principled decision-making must prevail

Despite the President retaining the right to make such appointments by law, Mr. Abotsi indicated that the Constitution that gave him this right is ostensibly limited hence the concept of the spirit of the law.

“Not all things must be informed must law. The constitution as you see it is a very limited document and that is why the framers of the constitution… inserted the concept of the spirit. The spirit is to inform the letter,” he explained.

On the possible outcomes of the lawsuit, Mr. Abotsi said he suspected the Supreme Court was “probably going to take a very dynamic view as far as the law is concerned.”

In line with the spirit of the law, Mr. Abotsi implored that principled decision-making prevail so as to avoid saddling the incoming government with far-reaching consequences.

“You do not want you successor to be bogged down by decisions you have taken that have effects beyond your term. Principled decision-making actually dictates that around this time, you do not take new decisions that will have the effect of binding the government especial when they are not practically necessary,” he said.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mahama can make ‘last minute’ appointments but… – Kofi Abotsi appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

President John Mahama swore in Joseph Whittal as the new CHRAJ Commissioner on Tuesday and the NPP has said this was done in contravention of an earlier agreement at the Transition Committee’s meeting of December 19, 2016.

He also swore into office a new Director for the (NCCE), Josephine Nkrumah.

Following this, a statement signed by Yaw Osafo Marfo, the representative of President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo on the transition team served notice that “the incoming administration reserves the right to review these and other high profile appointments, recruitments and contracts being embarked upon in these final days contrary to normal conventions associated with Presidential transitions and the consultation mechanism agreed.”

The incoming NPP government also condemned the appointments saying they were done in bad faith as they were to be subject to consultation with the Presidential Transition Committee.

“These appointments of Chairman of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education have been done contrary to an earlier agreement at the Transition Committee’s meeting of December 19th, at which meeting it was agreed that such appointments would be done subject to consultation with the Presidential Transition Committee.”

“It is the view of the President-Elect’s team, that these appointments coming barely 24 Hours after the agreement and less than three (3) weeks away from the inauguration of the incoming President is most disappointing and exhibits bad faith,” the statement said.

President Mahama has since been sued Lawyer Philip Addison who believes the President erred in these appointments as is seeking to restrain him from using his last 16 days to make the appointment.

Find the full statement below

PRESS STATEMENT

The Team of the President-Elect on the 2016 Presidential Transition Committee has taken notice of Two (2) new Constitutional Appointments that have been made today December 20th 2016 by President John Dramani Mahama.

These appointments of Chairman of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education have been done contrary to an earlier agreement at the Transition Committee’s meeting of December 19th, at which meeting it was agreed that such appointments would be done subject to consultation with the Presidential Transition Committee.

It is the view of the President-Elect’s team, that these appointments coming barely 24 Hours after the agreement and less than three (3) weeks away from the inauguration of the incoming President is most disappointing and exhibits bad faith.

We will, therefore, like to serve notice that the incoming administration reserves the right to review these and other high profile appointments, recruitments and contracts being embarked upon in these final days contrary to normal conventions associated with Presidential transitions and the consultation mechanism agreed.

Nonetheless, we shall continue to engage the Team of the Incumbent President on these and other matters which were earlier listed as matters to be consulted upon.

Signed

Ing. Yaw Osafo Maafo

( Co-Chairperson Presidential Transition Committee)

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We may review CHRAJ boss appointment – NPP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

President John Mahama swore in Mr. Whittal as the new CHRAJ Commissioner barely two weeks to his handing over of power to the newly-elected New Patriotic Party government.

The Commission had been without a substantive Commissioner for almost 12 months following the removal of the previous commissioner, Laurette Lamptey over allegations of corruption.

Despite criticism that this swearing in was done in bad faith, Mr. Whittal retorted that “He [President Mahama] has the power as the President of the Republic of Ghana, until he exits, to appoint and this is state function. He has a performed a state function today [Tuesday].”

“I don’t see anything wrong with it. Why should anybody read anything into it, I don’t have a problem with the appointment as I think it is right, it is lawful and it is legal,” he added.

Mahama sued over appointment

But Lawyer Philip Addison believes the President erred as he has filed a lawsuit challenging the appointment of Mr. Whittal.

The lawsuit is seeking to restrain President Mahama from using his last 16 days to make the appointment.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Philip Addison condemned the President’s move, arguing that the spirit of the constitution does not allow the President to make these late appointments.

“Our position is that these appointments are clearly not in line with the letter and spirit of the constitution. The President has barely two weeks to go and he is purporting to make these major appointments to saddle an incoming government. We do not think that it is proper, we do not think that it is the proper exercise of the discretion given to him under the constitution.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Nothing wrong with my ‘last minute’ appointment – New CHRAJ boss appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.