The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has advised the government to appoint qualified persons to critical public positions instead of party cronies.
It expressed concern over the appointment of persons to critical positions because of their political affiliation.
“If it were not so, why would the IGP, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana National Fire Service and other security positions be so politicised that a change in government almost certainly leads to a change in their hierarchy,” he queried.
Speaking at the opening of the GBA’s annual national conference in Cape Coast on Monday, the President of the association, Nene Abayeteye Amegatcher, observed that politicians had shown that they would undermine state institutions for their short-term political advantage.
The five-day conference is on the theme, “Insulating state institutions from interference for effective realisation of their mandate: The role of regulatory Bodies”.
Nene Amegatcher said the non-partisan approach to public appointments was crucial in efforts at strengthening state institutions for national growth and development, adding that people should be appointed based on professional competence, experience and demonstrated integrity.
“The nation suffers if those entrusted with manning the institutions of state are perceived as politically aligned,” he said.
The GBA President said judicial appointments, in particular, were critical, since they affected the whole nation and investor confidence in the economy.
Appoint new EC Chairman
The association also advocated the appointment of a new Chairman for the Electoral Commission (EC), to enhance the image and integrity of the commission before the 2016 general election.
Nene Amegatcher said it was important for President John Mahama to appoint a new EC Chairman as a matter of urgency to ensure credibility in the 2016 elections.
He indicated that some voting populace lost interest in the EC as a result of the lapses exposed in the electoral petition on the last general election and described the situation as unfortunate.
According to Nene Amegatcher, the conduct of general elections remained the single most important threat to the nation’s peace and life.
Economy
Touching on the state of the economy, Nene Amegatcher said the government had to do more to address the current economic challenges.
He said it was critical to significantly improve education and health, to improve living conditions, noting that the current cholera outbreak and its severity had revealed the lapses in the country’s health system.
The GBA President called on all to condemn corruption as well as a massive clamp down on offenders.
Messages
In her message, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, said there was the need for hard work to redeem the image of the legal system.
Justice Wood called for mandatory courses for members of the bar before the renewal of their licences, to ensure high professional practices.
She advised members not to capitalise their services, saying it was intolerable for people to suffer because legal services had been capitalised.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong, said the legal profession was an honourable one whose image had been stripped bare in recent times as a result of the misconduct of some practitioners.
