Justice Atuguba was NPP’s parliamentary candidate in 1992 – Abronye

Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye, has sought to dismiss public sentiments expressed against the recent nomination of some judges of the superior courts.

President Akufo-Addo, as part of recent judicial appointments, nominated four justices for the Supreme Court.

But the inclusion of Justice Yao Gaewu in the list has attracted public concerns. This was after an image of him on a campaign poster as a parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party in the Ho Constituency for the 2016 elections popped up following his nomination.

However, speaking as a guest on UTV’s Critical Issues, Abronye argued that the constitution of Ghana in no way bars an individual with such history from holding a judicial office.

“If an appointment is being made in disregard of the constitution saying that one cannot be a judge or a lawyer because he is NPP or NDC, we would agree that there has been a constitutional breach. But as I speak to you today, if you pick the 1992 Constitution, there is nowhere that an individual is barred because of their political affiliation,’’ he stated.

According to Abronye, this will not be the first time in Ghana that a person with such a history as Justice Gaewu has been appointed to the Supreme Court.

“When you take our Supreme Court or the history of appointing judges, this is not the first time a person with a history of political affiliation has been appointed to the Supreme Court. Justice Atuguba was the NPP parliamentary candidate for Bolgatanga Central in 1992 when we boycotted the elections that year.

“After that, Rawlings appointed him to the Supreme Court in 1995. He discharged his mandate diligently. *But he was NPP; the only political card he possessed is an NPP judge*,” Abronye said.

He further cited other justices of the Supreme Court who have political history but have gone on to discharge their duties as Justices diligently.

Ernest Yao Gaewu is one of the justices appointed by the president to serve at the Supreme Court.

The appointees are Justice Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, Justice George Kingsley Koomsom, and Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu (all from the Court of Appeal), while Justice Yao Gaewu was appointed from the High Court.

The appointment is on the advice of the Judicial Council as a result of pending vacancies in the Apex court.

This was announced by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, who said the president is seeking the approval of parliament for the appointment of the nominees as justices of the Supreme Court.