Support Special Prosecutor – President tells Lawyers

President Akufo-Addo has stated that the Special Prosecutor needs the support and collaboration of the Ghana Bar Association and the bench in order to successfully fight against corruption and illegal mining (galamsey).

The president made the call yesterday when he addressed the 2017 Annual General Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in Sunyani, the Brong-Ahafo Region.

He said when created, the office would be manned by members of the association and the bench and so need people of integrity and moral upstanding to fight the two cankers of corruption and galamsey that are confronting the country today.

He said the creation of the office should not be politicized and needs the support and cooperation of members of the association and the bench to ensure speedy trial of corruption and environmental degradation cases when it comes before them, stressing that he would do everything within his power to make it a success.

The Annual General Conference, which was under the theme, ‘Saving the Future Generation from The Scourge of Corruption and Environmental Degradation – The Role of the Legal Profession,’ brought together over 1,000 lawyers across the country and witnessed by some members of the diplomatic corps and some service commanders.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said he would do everything in his power as the president of the nation to confront the two issues of corruption and illegal mining and called for the support of the legal association to win the fight against the cankers.

He asked members of the legal profession to ensure speedy prosecution of matters of corruption and illegal mining when it comes before them.

He assured them of government’s efforts at improving their remuneration and conditions of service.

The president earlier lauded efforts of the forerunners of the association who championed the independent struggle of the nation and the later generation of lawyers, who also fought against dictatorship and military rule to bring democracy to all Ghanaians.

President Akufo-Addo said he had been an active member of the association during his practising days and called on the members to live above reproach in the fight against corruption.

The Chief Justice, Sophia AB Akuffo; the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Gloria Afua Akuffo and the president of the association, Benson Komla Nutsukpui addressed the audience at the conference.