Supreme Court swerves PPP

The expectation of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) was dashed on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 as the Supreme Court of Ghana failed to give reasons for quashing the suit the former brought against government over the implementation of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE).

The PPP had gone to the Registrar at the Supreme Court on the said day to receive the document of the reasons which were given in the judgment concerning the dismissal of the FCUBE suit only to be told by the registrar it was not ready.

According to the National Secreatary of the PPP, Kofi Asamoah-Siaw, who spoke toToday in an interview, they were higly disappointed, though they were asked to come on Wedneday, July 29, 2015 for the document.

But he said when the party went there the next day they were told again that what was left was for the document to be signed.

It would be recalled that a seven-member panel led by Justice Julius Ansah of the Supreme Court deferred reasons for their decision to throw out the PPP FCUBE suit.

The PPP in that suit was seeking an order from the Supreme Court to compel the Mahama-led administration to implement the FCUBE policy which is enshrined in the country’s constitution.

Article 25(1)(a) of the 1992 constitution says: “All persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with a view to achieving the full realisation of that right—basic education shall be free, compulsory and available to all.”

The PPP subsequently argued that since Ghana returned to constitutional democracy in 1992, successive governments had failed to enforce that constitutional provision.

And by that failure, it maintained that it had resulted in many children roaming the streets instead of being in school.

The leaders of the PPP, including its 2012 flag-bearer, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, who were in court on that day, expressed disappointment in that decision of the court.