The confirmation of the acting boss of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal, has sparked controversy barely five hours after the move.
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday December 20, 2016 confirmed Joseph Whittal as the head of CHRAJ while announcing Josephine Nkrumah as the new head of the National Commission for Civic Education - NCCE.
Though the appointments were announced a few hours ago, the president's decision to confirm Mr Whittal as the substantive CHRAJ boss appears to be a decision that may not hold for long following a decision by some persons to challenge the action in court.
A former partner at Ampem Chambers, Gabby Otchere Darko, first hinted on his Facebook wall, the intention of the party to challenge the decision of the outgoing-president in court.
Mr. Otchere Darko says the writ is seeking to 'restrain the defeated president from using his last 16 days to impose on his successor a CHRAJ boss he didn't even want to impose on himself'.
In a related development, Peacefmonline.com can confirm that the New Patriotic Party has challenged the power and authority of the out-going president to make new appointments by filing a suit in court.
The writ was filed on behalf of the incoming government by Lawyer Philip Addison, who confirmed the legal action in an interview a short while ago.
According to him, though going by the letter of the law, an outgoing president has the power to make appointment until the midnight 6th of January 2017, in spirit of the law, it cannot make appointment that will tie the hand of the incoming president.
Source: Peacefmonline.com with additional files from Ghanaweb
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SAY ALL YOU WANT ABOUT THE OUT-GOING PRESIDENT 'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO MAKE SUCH APPOINTMENTS BUT JOHN MAHAMA SHOULD SQUARELY ACCEPT THE INCOMPETENT TAG IF HE AND HIS TEAM DELIVERED HAND OVER NOTES 30+ DAYS AFTER DEADLINE AND WAITS TILL TRANSITIONAL PERIOD BEFORE CONFIRMING POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR HIS DECISION FOR OVER A YEAR. HE WOULD RATHER PUSH PARLIAMENT TO EXPEDITE APPROVAL OF LOANS OF OVER-PRICED PROJECTS TO LINE HIS POCKETS & THOSE FRONTING FOR HIM.
sorry Mahama you are out,no more tricks
Can you go back and check your facts again the one calling him or herself oh npp. For I know as a fact that all top positions were declared vacant by the ndc when profile Mill's came to power. I personally know several casualties.
When is coming is doing...ghanaians lets continue praying for Ghana and the New President ...NDC now is OVER ...OPPOSITION LIFE FOREVER FIR U PPL ..is ASSUREDDDDD....common sense not be common in NDC is clear
THE CHRAJ GUY WAS ALREACTING AND THE NCCE LADY WAS NEXT IN LINE AFTER CHARLOTTE OSEI. [PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU COMMENT
This is common sense, you have lost an election but you selecting people to work for a new government! What kind of non/sense is that. NDC people advice your leaders to stop this shameful act!!
Addison is the most usseless lawyer ever produced in Ghana. You want to challenge the president but fix the date on January 24 when the one you are challenging will be no more.
Hmmm keep pushing NDC ...will for sure keep u in OPPOSITION FOREVER OR AT LEASTT 40 YRS ..GOD PUNISH U PPL..Nkwassiafuo
MAHAMA AND NDC ARE BAD LOSERS. WE THANK GOD THAT GHANAIANAD VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY TO REJECT THEM IF THE THE LOSS WAS IN 50 PERCENT THEY WOULD HAVE GONE TO ANY EXTENT TO STEAL IT. EVEN WHEN THE LOSS WAS SO TELLING THEY CONTINUE TO LIE THAT THEY WERE WINNING.
JDM and NDC are just trying to make governance impossible for NPP by making recruitments, appointments and signing contracts as if they will also in future accept that same gesture from NPP. The law stipulates that both incoming and outgoing must agree on how government should operate in a transition period. If that fails, the incoming can review and reverse some of the previous appointments. Those blind supporters of NDC must know that their party is destroying the future of everyone. Lets eschew such corrupt acts.