March 28, 2024 10:22 pm

Your letter to the media an affront to democracy, withdraw it; NDC tells Judicial Service

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is calling on the Judicial Service to withdraw without hesitation, a letter it served the media through its lawyers, cautioning the citizenry on criticising the Judiciary.

The NDC says the act is an affront to Ghana’s democracy, “seeks to limit the right to free speech and press freedom to mere praise singing of the Judiciary, even in the face of several unjust rulings from the apex Court.”

In a release signed by its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, copied Ghanasonline.com, the National Executive Committee (NEC) in an emergency meeting held Monday, March 1, 2021 discussed issues that have erupt throughout the election petition hearing, vetting of ministerial nominees and what they term “the clandestine activities of some security agencies which have embarked on the arbitrary and malicious arrest and detention of citizens for exercising their right to free speech on social media”, amongst others.

Lawyers of the Judicial Service of Ghana cautioned all media houses in the country to desist from publishing hateful, indecent and offensive statements against judges.

Their concern, they say “arises from the publication and/or permitting the publication of a series of incendiary, hateful and offensive statements, and speeches on their various platforms against the Justices.

“This concern has been heightened by the flurry of statements and speeches directed at our client’s Justices, especially after the commencement of hearing of the election petition in the suit intituled John Dramani Mahama v Electoral Commission & Nana Addo,” the statement read.

In the letter addressed to all media houses in the country, the legal counsel noted that publishing hateful and offensive stories against adjudicators threaten the democracy and peaceful nature of the country.

But the NDC says the move was in a bad fate and ought to be retracted.

Read the full Communiqué below:

Communique issued at the end of an Emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held on Monday March 1, 2021.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held an emergency meeting in Accra today Monday, 1st March, 2021. The meeting discussed a wide range of pressing issues of national interest.

1. The meeting discussed among other things, the ongoing vetting of Ministerial nominees and urged the NDC Parliamentary caucus to be firm and resolute in their duties on the Appointment Committee. It urged them to reject insincere apologies rendered by some of the nominees at the Vetting Committee sittings and hold them responsible for their actions and/or statements which violate the obligations imposed on Public Office Holders by the 1992 Constitution.

2. Also, the NEC meeting noted with concern, the clandestine activities of some security agencies which have embarked on the arbitrary and malicious arrest and detention of citizens for exercising their right to free speech on social media. It urged Ghanaians to rise up against the creeping culture of silence and dictatorship being imposed on the nation.

3. NEC noted with alarm, the letter written on behalf of the Judicial Service of Ghana through its lawyers, Sory@Law to some media houses which sought to censor their duty to hold public institutions, including the courts, accountable for their actions. We note that the letter from the Judicial Service seeks to limit the right to free speech and press freedom to mere praise singing of the Judiciary, even in the face of several unjust rulings from the apex Court. NEC holds the view that, the Judicial Service has no right or authority to threaten anyone, much less the Media, for performing their constitutionally mandated duties. There are clear procedures laid out in our laws for dealing with specific infractions of media ethics and laws. We find the letter from the Judicial Service an affront to free speech and press freedom which threatens the pillars of democracy that the people of Ghana have nurtured over the years. We condemn it in no uncertain terms and call on the Judicial Service to withdraw same without delay, as a sign of respect for the democratic culture of free speech and press freedom.

4. It is the expectation of NEC, that good sense and love for country will prevail and that, the Akufo-Addo government and other institutions of state will henceforth, abort any plans to terrorize the citizens of Ghana in order to suppress dissent and quell demands for probity and accountability as enshrined in the 1992 constitution.

Finally, as Ghanaians await the verdict of the Supreme Court on the election petition, NEC urges all NDC members and supporters to remain calm and resolute. It is the prayer of NEC that the Supreme Court will uphold and promote probity, accountability and transparency, and give effect to the will of the people expressed on 7th December, 2020 in its judgement on the matter. The party will on its part, stop at nothing to rid the Jean Mensah-led Electoral Commission of its partisan biases and prejudices, and ensure transparency and fairness in national elections.

ISSUED IN ACCRA THIS 1ST DAY OF MARCH, 2021

Signed,
Hon. JOHNSON ASIEDU-NKETIAH
GENERAL SECRETARY.

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