As a policy, we do not editorialise on individuals – a principle we have adhered to for a long time except for a few variations though.
Our preference is to focus on issues and at best institutions. Today’s edition is but one of such variations as we are constrained to respond to the effusions of an otherwise respectable member of the society, a learned one for that matter.
For someone who has become a professor of law, Secretary or Executive Secretary to President John Mahama and the Constitutional Review Committee which cost the taxpayer $6.3 million dollars, his most recent raving and ranting about tribalism shows that he is an incorrigible rabble rouser, the equivalent of an NDC rabid serial caller even though he is not the radio station calling type. His behind the curtain actions are anything but in the interest of the country.
We are pained to observe how this learned gentleman is stepping on the landmine of ethnocentrism with the subtle objective of causing political mischief in the country.
He has pitched camp at the University of Education Winneba (UEW) and the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) claiming in a simplistic and puerile fashion how tribe-correctness is a determinant of whether or not officials stayed in office. In the latter institution, that was the order until a new management and council took over and hence the restoration of orderliness and decency.
As for his erroneous reference to the misuse of the judiciary, we are horrified that this balderdash is originating from a man who by his profession is a stakeholder in the health of the judiciary. That he has resorted to ridiculing it is an indication of how much value he puts to peddling the ethnocentric card. A suggestion about the susceptibility of the bench being misused by the executive should excite all who have a stake in the rule of law.
His smelly project is a means to intimidating and stampeding judges into giving judgment in his clients’ favour failing which he must run down the integrity of the fine gentlemen and ladies of the bench.
We find it interesting his reason for reclusing himself from the cases of the former rector of the GIJ and the UEW former VC- his anger could see him passing unacceptable remarks and which could spoil the cases of his clients.
Without any strong basis, he is struggling to play the tribal card to achieve a negative goal which does not inure to the interest of the country as he raises the picture of the aforementioned tertiary institutions.
This is the nephew of a judge who could not substantiate his claims about judges collecting bribes. Another case which was not backed by any evidence was his poor attempt to paint a picture of Supreme Court judgments being politically biased. As a social scientist and a researcher, he has still not been able to provide the methodology and findings of that study.
When otherwise learned persons who wield respect in society not because of their conduct but because of their academic feats undertake such subtle political projects, we are compelled to query their integrity and ask whether they are worthy of the deference they have enjoyed over the years.
It is so sad that an otherwise brilliant intellectual will engage in such monumental ethical breaches when he is handling cases for his client although he has announced reclusing. The Bar Association should be interested in this.
Our checks at the GIJ show that his chambers lost three interlocutrices! In fact it was his client who sued first!
We know the state of ethnocentrism at the premier journalism tertiary institution before and now.
It is rich and ridiculous to claim the current management and council of the GIJ is on a path of ethnocentric witch hunting; the features of the past order. Today students can vie for SRC positions regardless of which part of the country they hail from.
Source: Daily Guide
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Such distasteful language . shame
What do you expect from Blay and npp toilet newspaper, lies upon lies
Well said and well written Daily Guide. I am fast becoming very disappointed with the Prof Atuguba. As my assistant Snr. prefect at St. Huberts Seminary ( Kumasi) in the 90's he was the gentlest of souls, an objective brilliant chap and stood way above his peers both from Ksi and those he came from the north with like George Atinga, Vincent Begere and Lambert Akansa to mention but few. It is not surprising that he has risen to the position he is at the moment. But Prof. my respected ASP, please do not taint your legacy with this childish misguided ethnocentrism. Beating the tribal sentiment drum serves no one any good. Being appointed to a public institution is not a lifelong offer. As a legal luminary with an impressive credentials to back, you should seek redress in Court instead of this substandard petty child's play.
Descending on Atuguba in the manner you have serves to achieve bitterness, emptiness, pettiness or possibly drunkenness. Of all the things the learned and fearless Professor said, all you can pick on is ethnocentrism and the GIJ. Point be made that he smelt a rat in political interference in the judiciary, he noted impunity of the executive against the rule of law by installing a vice chancellor whose very office is in contention in court, he detailed a clear pattern of the powers that be playing politics with academia and using ethnicity as their leitmotif. In all of that it was the shenanigans at play in the UEW that called him to the duty of a citizen, not a spectator. And you sit there with your empty barrels writing editorial trash in the name of the devil's advocate simply because you control the media. Who needs your kind? Or why won't Ghana degenerate with retrogressive journalists like you. Ethnocentrism is the new elephant in the room in the room and the earlier we have a national debate about it the better for all of us than playing this holier than thou ***barred word***. Ghana Paaa
Is he the same person who had sued BOG on behalf Unibank? No wonder! Has he forgotten NDC government of which he was part?
I remember this same gentleman and Late Larry Bimi spoke about corruption in the Judiciary and the Judges & Magistrates ganged up against declaring the "persona non-granta" in their courts. What happened afterwards? Anas descended on the judiciary and what came out of that den is known to right thinking Ghanaians. If the judiciary had taken note of what they said instead of allowing their emotions to get the better part of them, the ***barred word*** revelation would have been avoided. He has spoke again, to put it bluntly about TRIBALISM which has taken deep roots since the coming into office of this government. Instead of all of us take a deeper reflection on it and make amends, others have gone to town with insults. It is said that, people resort to insults when they see and know that, they have lost the debate. An Anas may rise up and make know to this republic what has gone on and continue to go on within the corridors of power.
Professor Atuguba's statement on current happenings at UEW & GIJ was concise and straight to the point, without deviation. I feel sorry for Ghana under the present NPP leadership. Time will tell!
watery and bogus write-up. pathetic in logic.