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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NPP ne court!!! Aaabah.
How can Ecowas send such president to go and advice Yahya Jahmeh to step down.
The letter of the law should be suspended just because Akuffo Addo is president elect. Npp are full of ignoramuses who call themselves lawyers. These persons have been in acting positions for over a year now, so if the president has the power to appoint them substantive and has done that, what is your beef. Are you coming to power to sack Ghanaians from their work on political ground or what? Professor Mills kept all Npp appointees at post even after they were defeated, yet the so called rule of law party want to bring nepotism and cronyism into their admisntration. They think the judges are for them or the judges don't have senses of their own. No sane judge would hinder the president from discharging his constitutional right when his term of office is not ended. If the new appointees were the ones to redeem the numerous promises nana Addo gave the electorate, then you can conclude the would sabotage your government, but they going to work independent of your executive presdiency.
Mahama should rather appoint the incoming president. It seems the defeat has affected his head
No wonder the people voted against him. There is nothing presidential about mahana. He lacks something I cannot type here
It is surprising ndc is now Akan party Eeeiii ndc wonders will never end.I never knew ndc were so cowards like dogs who bark and put their tails in between their legs hahahahaha wooow! Mahama is Damn scared to death about the action old man. Nana,ndc are scared oooo now they think they are smart to put somebody at the Chraj to protect them but no way. The independent prosecutor is going to do most of the work and it is better NPP HAVE sent them to court to reverse this appointment because that guy was responsible for freeing a corrupt president who everyone knows he collected a bribe. Ghanaians don't trust somebody who can set free a corrupt person,we need honest people to strengthen our institutions not dishonest ones who set free their friends.
Th defeated Mahama has still not learnt from being proactive rather than reactive. Looking at all the commisioning of numerous projects before the Election, He still lost it. Last minutes actions by Him have not yielded any positive results for Him. So one may ask, why didnt He confirmed they before losing the elections. Pure exhibition of "***barred word*** syndrome"
Hahahah...mahama this is shameful,he is just bitter and creating problem for himself.He must understand akuffo addo is not a weak leader and can't be intimidated.Mahama is a joke.
Nana can revoke everything after all he has the constitutional right.
They think they can use the same patapaaaah the used to win the election to prevent the president from discharging his legal duties......Really?? Do you live in Ghana?