2 weeks Ago By Ghana News
Former Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has publicly lauded former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo for abstaining from the Council of State vote that approved the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. Out of 31 Council of State members, 30 voted in favor of the removal, with Sophia Akuffo being the only one to abstain. In a strongly worded post shared on Facebook, Mercer expressed his admiration for the former Chief Justice’s courage and principles.
“God bless former Chief Justice Sophia Akufo for abstaining from the removal process of Justice Torkonoo; I however expect her to make the reasons public” he stated. He described Akuffo’s action as the “right decision,” while calling the vote by the remaining members of the Council “shameful.” According to him, Sophia Akuffo fiercely opposed the decision and argued extensively with the Council of State members before ultimately choosing to abstain from the vote, a move he described as principled and admirable.
Mercer also criticized what he sees as a dangerous precedent of politicizing independent institutions. “We shouldn’t reduce our democracy to a tit-for-tat affair — that because we removed Charlotte Osei, the NDC will also remove CJ Gertrude Torkornoo,” he cautioned. He emphasized that the roles of the former Electoral Commission Chairperson and the Chief Justice are fundamentally different and must not be equated or used as political bargaining chips.
Calling on Sophia Akuffo to take a further step, Mercer said, “We are still waiting for former CJ, Sophia Akuffo, to resign from the Council of State following that shameful decision made by the other 30 members. She is principled, so we are waiting patiently.” He lamented that the Council, rather than playing its constitutional advisory role, has unfortunately aligned with a decision that undermines the independence of the judiciary.
Source: See below https://www.facebook.com/share/v/191dFYsP1S/.
