Develop blueprint for national development — GBA

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has called for the development of a blueprint agreeable to all stakeholders and political parties on an agreed national development agenda, to ensure that it shall be prosecuted regardless of the political party in government.
That, it said, would help do away with the political rivalry that had characterised the country’s development and which, in most cases, had resulted in the dissipation of national resources.

In a communique issued by the GBA at its annual conference held last month in Ho, it also called on the government to take steps to retrieve all monies wrongfully paid to individuals or institutions implicated in the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) report.

The communique was made public at a news conference addressed by the GBA President, Nene Abayateye Amegatcher, in Accra yesterday

It noted with concern, the growing level of corruption in the country, describing it as a destructive canker delaying the growth of the country.

Electoral reforms

On electoral reforms, it suggested the recruitment of well-qualified and adequately trained presiding officers and assistants to man the polling stations.

It called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to also provide a much more simplified form for recording the statement of poll and declaration of results for the office of president and parliament (Pink sheet).

The communique also called for a review of the automatic dissolution of all boards on the assumption of office of a new president, contending that any rigid implementation of that provision risked promoting division and partnership rather than promoting unity.

The GBA also drew attention to growing phenomenon of chairpersons of boards of public institutions arrogating to themselves executive powers and thus usurping the powers of chief executives or managing directors of institutions.

It recommended the setting up of legal departments at the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, to deal with the legal lapses that had been associated with the assemblies in entering into contracts or abrogating contracts.

Justice dispensation

On justice dispensation, the GBA expressed concern about the seeming refusal of bail to accused persons as a means of punishment and urged its executive committee to liaise with the Judicial Service to ensure that judges and magistrates properly considered bail to ensure the realisation of justice.

The GBA also condemned the verbal assault and vilification of judges by lawyers and litigants and pointed out that the development tended to erode public confidence in the judges, who by their training and judicial temperament were unable to defend themselves in public fora.

By Daniel Agbenyega/Daily Graphic/Ghana