Judges’ strike: Ghana is broke – Kweku Baako

The planned strike action by lower court judges in Ghana over issues relating to their salaries is an indication that the Government of Ghana is broke, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide, has said.

High Court justices and magistrates across the country have threatened to embark on an industrial action from the 21st of November over government’s failure to address issues with their salaries.

According to the judges, the 10 per cent increment in salaries they demanded from government had fallen on deaf ears, while the demands of the justices of the superior courts had been attended to.

They are furious because all their efforts to get the Attorney General and the Minister of Finance to address their issue had been futile.

Speaking in relation to this matter on Multi TV’s Newsfile programme on Saturday November 12, Mr Baako said: “Maybe we still haven’t recovered from the state which we chewed the meat to the bone. It means simply we are broke, there is not money in the state coffers to pay them. Let us be honest: we don’t have the money. If we don’t have the money, we ask, ‘Where is the money?’ Where did it go? I don’t understand it.”

He added: “To the extent that you have such a delicate sector publicly articulating their discontent…it’s all about money. …Sooner than later, of course the law wouldn’t allow it, but don’t be surprised if you get security personnel agitating publicly. That is a mess. That is something you don’t need to see. To the extent that you now have people in the judicial system articulating publicly their discontent …we are talking here of the judicial officers, judges, it ought not to have happened.

“It means they are at the level of deep-seated, deep-rooted frustration and disappointment and discontent.”