A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team in the Upper East Region, Solomon TTB Zinekena, has defended President John Dramani Mahama’s recent nomination of seven Justices to the Supreme Court, asserting that the process is constitutional and based on merit.
Speaking during an interview on A1 Radio, the NDC communicator criticized the Minority in Parliament for what he described as a failure to present concrete concerns regarding the nominations. According to him, instead of making generalized claims, the Minority should point to specific issues if they believe the nominations are problematic.
He maintained that the nominated Justices are seasoned legal professionals, many of whom have served diligently at the Court of Appeal level. He added that some were appointed to the bench even before the tenure of the recently suspended Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, yet their elevation had been delayed due to political interference.
“All these justices you are seeing — the majority of them are from the Court of Appeal. Some of them were appointed as judges even before the current Chief Justice, who has been suspended,” he stated.
Mr. Zinekena dismissed suggestions that the nominees are politically aligned with the NDC, challenging critics to name anyone among them with known NDC affiliations. He contrasted this with past appointments under the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which he claimed were often based on party loyalty rather than competence.
“Tell me which of these people they can point to as an NDC member. Or do they not deserve better? Let them name even one person they can align with the NDC. In the past, we saw judges appointed by Nana Akufo-Addo based purely on loyalty to the NPP,” he said.
He emphasized that the NDC government is committed to appointing qualified individuals based on merit, not political considerations. He also noted that with some Justices nearing retirement, it is necessary to fill those vacancies to ensure the judiciary remains effective and efficient.
He warned that continued efforts to discredit the judiciary could erode public trust in the institution, potentially threatening the country’s democratic stability. According to him, when citizens lose faith in the courts, they may resort to taking the law into their own hands — a situation he described as dangerous for national cohesion.
“When you do something to me, the best place to run to is the police station and then the court, isn’t it? So, when people begin to doubt the fairness, transparency, and impartiality of the courts, our democracy will not survive. Why? Because it will get to a point where people feel they must take the law into their own hands, knowing they won’t get justice in court — and that is not good for our democracy,” he cautioned.
Mr. Zinekena reiterated that the President acted within the confines of the Constitution and encouraged those with opposing views, particularly the Minority in Parliament, to seek legal redress rather than relying on public commentary.
“What he has done is in accordance with the Constitution. If they think it’s wrong, they shouldn’t be organizing press conferences — they should go to court,” he concluded.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
