Former President John Mahama has urged the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to overcome perceived partisan affiliations and consistently advocate for the national interest, irrespective of the political party in power.
While addressing organised labour representatives in Kumasi, Mahama expressed concerns about the GBA’s apparent reticence on certain crucial issues under the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
He highlighted instances where the GBA’s silence appeared noteworthy, including alleged human rights violations and questionable government decisions.
Mahama emphasised that such silence undermines the Bar Association’s credibility and raises doubts about its commitment to ensuring justice and accountability for all Ghanaians.
“GBA spoke about perception. Well, what’s the reality? Does the GBA go to sleep when the NPP is in power and wake up when the NDC is in power? We will see. In 2025, we will see whether you will wake up. But it’s true. You know yourselves that it is true that when the NPP is in power, they do the most outrageous things and you are quiet.
“And yet, when NDC is in power, the least mistake and GBA has issued a press release. And you know it’s true. So the point is that the truth is one and the truth is the same under Rawlings; it is the same under Kufuor; it is the same under Mills; it is the same under John Mahama; it is the same under Akufo-Addo. The truth does not change.
“And so if you are concerned with people’s rights, you are concerned with protecting human rights and freedoms; you must be consistent under any administration, not only concerned under some administrations and not under other administrations,” Mahama stated.