Address growing impunity in Ghana – GBA to Akufo-Addo

The leadership of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), together with the National Council of the Bar have called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, to take a critical look at the culture of impunity that is gradually growing in Ghana and deal with it.

Addressing the President at the Jubilee House when they paid a courtesy call on him, the National Leader of the Ghana Bar Association, Tony Forson Jnr., said there seem to be some general level of intolerance in the society which leads to violence.

“For example, things like persons misunderstanding lawfully constituted authority, attacking Police Officers, Immigration Officers, and it is our hope that these things will be nipped in the bud before it gets out of hand,” the Bar President said.

The President in response to the suggestion of the Bar President indicated that he welcomes the call by the Bar and acknowledge that “calling upon the Executive to be a life to it responsibilities is an important civic responsible they have discharged and he is sensitive to it and accepts the challenge of what needs to be done to ensure that the society is not one that condones the culture of impunity”.

Vigilantism

On vigilantism, the Bar President commended the President for taking a bold step just like he did in the “Galamsey” issue.

“It is my prayer that in the round up to the 2020 elections, we should start conscientising people on the need for peace during the electioneering campaign and afterwards. So we will encourage you Mr President to continue in that trajectory to hold firm the issue of peace,” Mr. Forson said.

President Akufo Addo, on the issue of vigilantism said there is still considerable unemployment for the youth of the country so it is relatively easy to corrupt young people into all kinds of dangerous activities. The President assured the Bar Council that whatever steps need to taken to deal with vigilantism, his administration will do same to safe guard the rule of law.

Energy and Cedi Depreciation

On the issues of energy and the cedi exchange rate the National Leader of the Bar said that it is their hope that efficient measures will be put in place for the country to enjoy what it use to enjoy a couple of months under the Presidency of Akufo Addo.

The Bar Leadership encouraged the President, the great mind that he is, not to be deterred by any challenges but rather strive to achieve the result that informed the decision of the Ghanaian people who elected him as President.

President Akufo Addo noted that the energy situation in the country is under control and that the worse part of what has been experienced in recent times is behind us and the country should be seeing a much more even, stable and regular supply tit f energy in the country.

On the cedi, the President said going forward, the public discourse on the cedi must focus on some of the structural problems involved in the currency of the country.

“The are structural problems that are not been articulated loudly enough” President Akufo Addo said.

“We live in a country where we are overly dependant on the importation of things for our daily sustenance. Things that we can produce, we continue to import them, and at the same time, we don’t generate enough exports, this is the real origin of the fragility of our currency” the President said. He added that “the currency is currently seeing a downward trend. I am hoping that the downward trend will continue and it will get further down so that the recent upsurge will be wiped out”.

Election 2020

President Akufo Addo, in his remarks indicated that he is confident of a successful outcome of election 2020. His administration he noted will achieve all of its promises it made to the Ghanaian people.