Only God has the right to take life - Dr. Lawrence Tetteh on death penalty debate

Renowned International Evangelist and Economist, Dr. Lawrence Nene Kofi Tetteh has called on parliament to vote unanimously to repeal the death penalty law.

According to him, the death penalty law is one of the things undermining Ghana as a peace haven. He also indicated people sentenced to death penalty are living under inhumane conditions, and “they look like animals” when he visited them.

“Let all parliamentarians stand for the amendment of the death penalty law just like the way I saw a unanimous move by 275 parliamentarians last week”, he appealed.

” I think it is about time we let Ghana gain its place as one of the safe havens that believes in the dignity of human beings. And let us get to that place where we can find alternative ways of punishing people without necessarily killing them”, Dr. Tetteh further stated on the Breakfast Show.

Meanwhile, a publication by Amnesty International revealed that 148 people were on death row at the end of 2016 but the last executions were carried out in July 1993.

Criminal Code 1960, Act 29 of the 1992 Constitution, provides crimes that are punishable by death. These are murder under Section 46, and attempt to commit murder by a convict under Section 49.

The others are genocide under Section 49A, treason under Section 180, and high Treason under Article 3(3) of the Constitution, 1992.