The annual Ghana Bar Conference is under scrutiny for allegedly being used as a political campaign platform.
Edudzi Kudzo Tameklo, the Director of Legal Affairs of the NDC has accused it of becoming a tool for the NPP to campaign against John Mahama in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.
This controversy arises from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo‘s speech at the 2023 Ghana Bar Association Annual Conference in Cape Coast on Monday, September 11, 2023.
During his address, President Akufo-Addo appeared to target former President John Dramani Mahama, who had previously declared, ‘I’m not going to be a clearing agent president.’
President Akufo-Addo, in response to allegations of clearing his appointees accused of corruption without due process, stressed that his government’s anti-corruption initiatives have established an unprecedented standard in Ghana’s history since gaining independence.
The President clarified, stating, “Every single alleged act of corruption leveled against any of my appointees has been investigated by independent bodies such as CHRAJ (Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice) and CID. It is not my role to clear or convict any person accused of wrongdoing or engaging in acts of corruption; that is the responsibility of the courts and law enforcement agencies.”
He further clarified that his responsibility involved addressing corruption allegations by directing them to the relevant investigative agencies, which might involve suspending the accused official pending the investigation’s outcome.
In response to President Akufo-Addo’s speech, Edudzi Kudzo Tameklo expressed his criticism on Facebook.
“The Ghana Bar Conference has become a dubious campaign platform for the NPP to campaign against John Mahama in the 2024 election. The evidence is that Akufo Addo, at the Conference, urged voters to vote against John Mahama,” he wrote.
