Have faith in the Supreme Court - Okyehene urges

The Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori-Panin on Tuesday urged Ghanaians to have faith in the nine Justices of the Supreme Court to deliver justice come August 29 on the 2012 presidential election petition.

He said: “The nine justices will decide the faith of our nation and I am sure they will be courageous to do justice for Ghana”.

Osagyefo Ofori-Panin made the remarks in Accra during a peace forum organised by the William Ofori-Atta Heritage in collaboration with the Christian Council of Ghana, the Office of the National Chief Imam and Multimedia Communication.

The forum, which was on the theme: “One nation, One People, One Destiny: Sustaining Ghana’s Democracy,” sought to sensitize Ghanaians on the need to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court and to maintain the peace and stability of the nation.

Other speakers include Mr Sam Okudzeto, a legal luminary; Mr Paul Victor Obeng, Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission and Senior Advisor to the president; Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress; and Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, Director of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.

Others were Mr Fred Oware, Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party; Apostle Dr Opoku Onyinah, Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Nana Dr S. K. B. Asante, Omanhene of Asokore Traditional Area; and Imam Awal Shuiab, Executive Member of the Office of the National Chief Imam.

Osagyefo Ofori-Panin described the late Mr William Ofori-Atta as a God fearing person, a great man who believed in the Ghanaian culture and upheld the voice of reason and compassion.

He said the future of the nation depended on Ghanaians, and all must do their best to fix it, declaring: “Since 1992, we have chosen the path of democracy and this democracy should be lived in its fullness”.

He assured Ghanaians that: “there is hope for the future.”

The Okyehene, who is also the patron of the William Ofori-Atta Heritage, said the right to free speech was a vital part of democracy, and that democracy was not just about voting every four years.

He said since 1992, the nation had witnessed five successful elections and was about to go to the sixth one, when the petitioners came in with their petition before the Supreme Court.

Osagyefo Ofori-Panin said Ghanaians were being challenged today to think of their children’s future and to create a new Ghana that would ensure a great future for them.