Atuguba's Chariot of Contempt Citations ...

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• OTI 12 years ago

  I am nnot going to waste my time on this rubbish of yours.Fuck you a thousand time you mentally derailed being! Ghan is moving forward.What do you mean by respect? Fuck you and damm you!

  I am nnot going to waste my time on this rubbish of yours.Fuck you a thousand time you mentally derailed being! Ghan is moving forward.What do you mean by respect? Fuck you and damm you!

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• Al Gashari 12 years ago

  Thanks Prof Lungu.
  
  I have never thought your being a CPP supporter/sympathizer is necessarily a bad thing - not in connection with the SC petition or with respect to other issues of national interest and importance. And I ...
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  Thanks Prof Lungu.
  
  I have never thought your being a CPP supporter/sympathizer is necessarily a bad thing - not in connection with the SC petition or with respect to other issues of national interest and importance. And I know you have always stressed the importance of "Ghana centerdness" in everything you have pursued on this forum. I have always understood that to mean our pursuits should go beyond our partisan (and especially selfish) interests for the greater good of the nation as a whole.
  
  It is actually in pursuit of that that I have also thought that any expressed interests in the SC case should also be geared towards that greater national good. The best way of expressing an impartial view of Atuguba's ruling is to base it strictly on the "correct" interpretation of available laws. But the interpretation of the law, every law, is not hard science. There is too much leeway when it comes to such things which is why there is the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Even the letter of the law is subject to interpretation.
  
  What galls me is how even learned persons use that leeway given in the interpretation of the law to actually tilt things to their partisan positions. I do not believe you, Prof Lungu, do that but it seems you support the positions of others who do that. You will argue that you support those positions only if they are Ghana-centered but you may stand accused of being tainted by aligning yourself with people who surreptitiously express politically partisan views or make interpretations that are informed by their politically partisan positions.
  
  I have, myself, not expressed any view on the interpretation of the law by Atuguba simply because I do not know the relevant laws that are in operation and if he is in breach of them. So I do not know if it is Justice Atuguba who must change his ways or if it is the ground rules that must be changed to prevent him from behaving that way.
  
  In conclusion, I wish to state that I, too, think even Justices of the Supreme Court in whom a lot of power is invested cannot be above everybody else and do what they like and crave respect for their personal selves because they happen to be Justices of the SC. But that is becoming a different concern which goes to do with our respect system in general and the way our society kowtows to EVERYBODY in authority, not just justices of the SC.

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• Prof Lungu 12 years ago

  Al Gashari,
  Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments!
  
  Generally, our comments are specific to the point(s) made by the columnist/writer/commentator, with respect to the article under consideration.
  
  That said, we a ...
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  Al Gashari,
  Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments!
  
  Generally, our comments are specific to the point(s) made by the columnist/writer/commentator, with respect to the article under consideration.
  
  That said, we are in agreement on all the important points.
  
  1. We can defer to judges, but we should not suspend our critical lenses/speech.
  
  2. To make a point with what you've just proposed, our sense is, with respect to the Contempt Citations, Justice Atuguba and the panel have already began to change their ways.
  
  3, That law needs great cleansing for the points made by Professor Asare, ourselves, and many other persons who have been critical, and rightly so.
  
  3. Further, we agree. As citizens, our "respect system in general" ought to change. Ghanaweb and other media provide us a means to communicate different perspectives from numerous other context not available to the man in the street in Ghana. Together, let's move forward and help others learn from us, even as we also learn from others.
  
  (Imagine a writer just the other day actually branded a minister a "Blackmailer." Yet the author, throughout the essay, referred to the "Blackmailer" as "Hon."). It does not quite fit, even in any respectable context.
  
  Greetings!

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• Kobena 12 years ago

  Prof Lungu,
  That was an excellent piecce! Yes, judging from where we have come from as a ntion, the era of "The Culture of Silence" and even after it was broken, the use of the iniquitous Libel Law to harass decent Ghanaians ...
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  Prof Lungu,
  That was an excellent piecce! Yes, judging from where we have come from as a ntion, the era of "The Culture of Silence" and even after it was broken, the use of the iniquitous Libel Law to harass decent Ghanaians, the contempt citations in this case were completely unnecessary, perhaps even dangerous.
  
  There is a Fanti proverb which say "Opanyin due manntse mantse", literally meaning "As an elder you hear nothing, even if it is being said right in front of you."
  
  Judges and juries are not supposed to listen to or read news about live cases before them. If our intutitions were allowed by our politicians to work as they were desinged to do, Ghana Police should have been the authority to invite Atubiga for questioning and a caution and that should have been it, in a true democracy.
  
  As for Ken Kuranchie, what he wrote should have been treated with utter contempt, especially after the person who said it had apologised and been cautioned.
  
  I have read a lot worse thigs written about the Asantehene on GhanaWeb and elsewhere. The 'Obaatan' that he is he has never reacted to any of it. And that is maturity. That is statesmanship.
  
  Mr Kuffuor was called all sorts of things even as president, but he never reacted. Out of office, he is still being given all kinds of unprintable names. He still does not react.
  
  The Supreme Court judges should not escape blame for whatever happened. They lost the plot by allowing some of the lawyers to misbehave right at the beginning of the proceedings.
  
  I think we should, as citizens, all learn a lesson from the case. As citizens, we have to begin to demand proper behaviour of our institutions and those who run them. The sloppiness and incompetence we see all around will not take us anywhere as a nation, and it is really ridiculous when we try to make scape goats others when our own shortcomings are revealed!

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• Prof Lungu 12 years ago

  Kobena.
  We'd say Ghana police would/should have "the authority to invite" those perceived to incite violence, but yes, not a Supreme Court Justice.
  
  With respect to Ken Kuranchie, any one could treat what he wrote "with ut ...
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  Kobena.
  We'd say Ghana police would/should have "the authority to invite" those perceived to incite violence, but yes, not a Supreme Court Justice.
  
  With respect to Ken Kuranchie, any one could treat what he wrote "with utter contempt." It should not make a difference if the original "sayer" withdrew what they said, for any reason. You will agree that "utter contempt" would not include imprisonment by any Judge, regardless of their status.
  
  Yes, we agree. The Asantehene has acted with "maturity" in many of those circumstances.
  
  And Mr Kuffuor is a great Statesman. We are reminded of how he handled/interfaced with Mr. Osei Yaw Nketiah, alias Dr. Assem Foforo.
  
  More important, we strongly agree with you: Citizens "have to begin to demand proper behaviour of our institutions and those who run them."
  
  Thanks a million!

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• Prosper Seenam 12 years ago

  So you are the almighty "Prof. Lungu" who was asking whether I am a student or a Prof.? Well, I'm not a "prof" like you; a prof who quotes from wikipedia? Gimme just one reasonable reason why peole should respect your opinion ...
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  So you are the almighty "Prof. Lungu" who was asking whether I am a student or a Prof.? Well, I'm not a "prof" like you; a prof who quotes from wikipedia? Gimme just one reasonable reason why peole should respect your opinions when you are not ready to respect those of anyone else but yourself!

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• Prof Lungu 12 years ago

  Thanks for the comments, Prosper Seenam!
  
  You must be referencing your article, "Indecent Dressing Among Ladies", published Sunday, 14 July 2013, on Ghanaweb.
  
  Here are a few points to consider:
  
  1. There is absolutely ...
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  Thanks for the comments, Prosper Seenam!
  
  You must be referencing your article, "Indecent Dressing Among Ladies", published Sunday, 14 July 2013, on Ghanaweb.
  
  Here are a few points to consider:
  
  1. There is absolutely nothing "almighty" about "Prof Lungu."
  
  2. If you will notice, the Wikipedia citation on "Respect" at top of the page is not all directly from Wikipedia, hence .\\ (WIKIPEDIA+Prof Lungu on "Respect"). (We chose not to use a dictionary definition, which is the standard, is there is one)).
  
  3. If you utilize the name of an academic institution and claim affiliation, it is oftentimes a good idea to indicate your status, particularly if you are a student. (It allows some commentators to tailor comments). For instance, we do work with students, among them KNUST students, by helping them improve on their writing and critical thinking skills.
  
  4. We value your opinion and you are entitled to your view, in this case with respect to the essay you wrote. However, you are not entitled to determine what dresses and clothing Ghanaian girls and women must wear just so you or anyone can "control" yourselves, and avoid "rape." Further, it is a remarkable over-statement, we are being charitable here, to claim that "the bad dress standards they... (girls/women).. are adopting are not only a form of sexual harassment to men and boys but also a major cause of the many rape cases that are reported every year all over the world..."
  Again, it is a bit difficult to tailor our comments because of the academic affiliation vacuum.
  
  5. Assuming you are a student, we will advice you to do little search of the literature on "Rapes" on girls/women. You will quickly find that your "theory" is way out of step with recorded evidence.
  
  But, whatever you do, we strongly encourage you to keep on writing, if can.
  
  ****Please take our comments in good spirit, a we do, yours!
  
  Thanks.

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• Whatever 12 years ago

  You are irresponsible, Lungu. Respect the law of contempt. Atuguba's actions is a function of law. I thought you call yourself a professor

  You are irresponsible, Lungu. Respect the law of contempt. Atuguba's actions is a function of law. I thought you call yourself a professor

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