JUJU VRS LAW; The Case of Jerry John Rawlings and Henry Lartey

Jerry John Rawlings

By Ekow Mensah

Once more, Ghana’s former President Jerry John Rawlings has indicated that he prefers trial by ordeal, a practice which is outlawed by all civilized societies as a means of determining his innocence.

In a reaction to a petition filed by Dr Henry Lartey, leader of the Great Consolidation Peoples Party (GCPP) for investigations into his alleged receipt of US$5million from the late General Abacha of Nigeria, Mr Rawlings said that he prefers traditional spiritual rites.

Strangely Dr Lartey has quickly accepted the challenge and said that he is ready to appear before any deity for the purpose of establishing the full facts of the alleged gift.

Unfortunately for Mr Rawlings and Dr Lartey, Ghana’s laws frown on trial by ordeal and insist on the production of imperical evidence as a basis for the resolution of disputes.

Ghana’s 1992 constitution clearly defines it as a secular state which upholds the freedom of conscience and the rights of citizens to choose whatever religion they fancy or believe in.

The Antoa Nyama Shrine

Given this situation, the issue arises as to what religious rites may be performed in the determination of the merits of the different cases which may go before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) or the judiciary.

Would it be Muslim or Christian, African traditional religion or some religious practice from the East?

So if fetish priests were to pronounce Mr Rawlings guilty or an Obinim were to pronounce him innocent what would be the effect of that?

 

Dr Henry Lartey

Article 57(6) of the 1992 constitution states inter alia that “Civil or criminal proceedings may be instituted against a person within three years after ceasing to be President, in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him in his personal capacity before or during his term of office notwithstanding any period of limitation except where the proceedings had been legally barred before he assumed the office of President”.

 It is clear that even if Mr Rawlings is found to have violated the law in the receipt of funds from General Abacha, he cannot be held to account.

 So what is the purpose of the action initiated by Dr Lartey when Mr Rawlings cannot be prosecuted or punished in any way?

Would it matter if he is pronounced guilty or innocent by juju?

Editorial

SOME THING IS WRONG

Who can believe this level of recklessness?

With only 48 days to go for a major election, the price of petrol has been increased by between 4 and 11 per cent.

Although some section of the petroleum industry insist that the increase is only 4 per cent the official statement announcing the increase last Tuesday put it at 11 per cent.

We are being told that the Ghana Oil Company (GOIL) will not increase its ex-pump price and therefore consumers can buy their products without being affected by the increase.

The Insight still wants to know in spite of all the explanations what this increase is meant to achieve and why it is so crucial that it has to be announced so quickly.

We sense so high level of recklessness in this move.

THOUGHTS OF A MYSTERIOUS MAN

Ezanetor Rawlings

With Ebow Duncan

One Seat, Ezanator and NDC

Patience is a phenomena which the sages say can remove mountains, but in the case of the Rawlingses it has not removed even a hill.

What it has done is to demonstrate that the claim that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) belongs to the Rawlings family may not be true.

Political parties are formed sometimes to pursue political and ideological goals. Sometimes, they are focused on winning political power. They can also be formed to push other agendas.

In the case of the NDC, it said that it was formed primarily to ensure that political power did not slip from the hands of those who controlled it from 1981.

There was some legitimate fear that if power escaped from the hands of the PNDC lords and its cadre core and fell into the hands of elements of the United Party and former or genuine revolutionaries who had suffered abuse under Rawlings there would be retribution.

Self-preservation was the clarion call and everybody who was anybody in the PNDC was whipped into making sure that the PNDC without the pee retained political power.

 The NDC was a political party which needed power and was ready to do whatever it took to capture that power.

From 1992, loyalty to the party could only mean voting for it or getting others to vote for it. Winning elections were central.

1992 was the year, the nationality of Mr Jerry Rawlings was being challenged in the courts. It was the year in which there was growing advocacy for trying Rawlings and his associates for human rights abuses. It was the period of agitation over extra –judicial killings under the PNDC and Professor Albert Adu Boahen was threatening every kind of inquiry into all aspects of Rawlings rule.

That was a hectic part of our history and people with PNDC backgrounds were sitting on tenterhooks.

They needed to win the elections by hook or crook to gain their peace of mind.Perhaps that explains how the NDC was formed as an election machine and has remained so ever since.

Voting in an election has become a crucial party duty of all members because of this history and can you believe the surprise when it turns out that some who claims ownership of the party may never have voted in any election?

Ezenator Rawlings, first daughter of the Rawlingses does not have her name on the voters register.

That could very well mean that she has never voted for the NDC and her father.

For sure, when John Mahama was locked in a fight over who should become President of Ghana, Ezanator did not think it was important.

She did not campaign for John and she did not bother to register so she could add her lone vote to those for John Mahama and the NDC.

In other words she was not in the least troubled by the prospect of a Nana Akufo-Addo victory in the2012 presidential elections.

Ezanator, the loyal NDC member whose family owns the party did not vote for the NDC only three years ago.

What can be the basis of her claim that she is the best person to represent the people of Klottey Korle on the ticket of the party she didn’t vote for?

Isn’t it interesting too that her mother and her National Democratic Party (NDP) want President Mahama and the NDC to lose the 2016 elections, but Nana Konadu wants Ezanator to win on the NDC ticket?

Hasn’t the struggle for the Klottey Korle seat in Parliament revealed too much already?

Wow!!!

RAWLINGSES: A Split Family And A Blissful Future

Jerry John

By Ekow Mensah

When former President Rawlings publicly admits that he did not campaign for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates in the 2012 elections, he tells the story of a future for himself and his family.

Mr Rawlings continues to wear the crown of the founder of the NDC while his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings leads another political Party the National Democratic Party (NDP) and supports every move of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

More interestingly, his daughter Dr Ezanator Agyemang Rawlings is battling for the right or honour to represent the Korle Klottey constituency.

The point is that although the Rawlingses appear to be split politically, their family bonds are unbreakable.

 Mr Rawlings was on hand at the launching of the NDP in Kumasi and he declared unflinching support for the efforts of his wife to deny the Presidency to late Professor John Evans Atta Mills.

Ezanator Rawlings

He did not give a hoot about the fact that the defeat of President Mills at the time would have meant defeat for his new found friend, John Dramani Mahama.

For Rawlings at the time, most important was for his wife to become President of the Republic of Ghana and fears of the emergence of a Rawlings dynasty were ignored.

The result of the political gymnastics of the Rawlingses would be that heads they win and tails they win.

 If Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP should win power with the help of Nana Konadu, that would guarantee the peace of the Rawlingses.

 On the other hand if the NDC with Mr Rawlings as founder and Ezanator as a Member of Parliament should win the election, the Rawlingses can still enjoy the protection of government.

The game of the Rawlingses appear to be proceeding according to plan and for now it can be predicted that the Rawlingses would not be touched by any political witch hunting no matter who wins the next election.    

Cobyn Gets More Support

Jeremy Corbyn

By Kwesi Pratt,Jnr

Britain left wing opposition leader Jeremy Cobyn is still getting support from inside the establishment and all corners of the globe.

Amongst those declaring support for his policies are American Nobel prize winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Kingman who sent messages of support.

Many lecturers and researchers in British Universities are also declaring their support for the clearly left- wing policies announced by Corbyn.

 Amongst the university dons who are declaring support are Victoria Chick of the University College of London, Susan Himmelweit of the Open University and James Meadway, City University.

Others include Malcolm Sawyers, Annina Kalten brunner, Gary Dymski, Ruth Pearson and Hugo Radice of the University of Leads.

 Ann Pettifor and Jeremy Smith of Prime Economics have also declared their support.

 Corbyn’s policies include the re-nationalisation of British Rail and the funding of public investment by the sale of bonds to the Bank of England.

 Corbyn says that austerity is  a policy choice and not an economic necessity.

Editorial

HEAR THE FARMERS

Many farmers across the country are crying out about the fact that the rains have failed them this year.

The farmers are worried about the grim prospect of their economic ruin as well as the prediction that hunger lurks in the corner.

Indeed what has happened is no fault of the hard working farmers of Ghana and the State cannot sit idly by and allow them to suffer.

In our view it is important for the government to design a scheme to support farmers when the rains fail.

The farmers also need assistance to stay in business for the next season. Please hear the cries of the farmers.