The Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has said there is no vacuum in Ghana’s judiciary that warrants a rushed appointment of a substantive Chief Justice.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr. Ahiagbah explained that the acting Chief Justice, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, is fully discharging his duties, and the judicial system continues to operate effectively.
“I don’t think there is much of a vacuum in the discharge of justice in our country, because the nominated Chief Justice is also serving as the Acting Chief Justice,” he said.
He added that the judiciary’s functionality should reassure stakeholders that there is no immediate crisis.
“We don’t have a vacuum, that we should be in hurry to fill. He is doing a job; he is not inhibited in any way from doing his job,” Mr Ahiagbah stated.
The NPP communications director also questioned the government’s priorities, suggesting that attention should instead be focused on other critical appointments.
“If anything at all, we should be in a hurry to appoint a Defence Minister, which we haven’t appointed, but yet we are busy trying to replace a situation that is effectively covered since April,” he said.
Mr. Ahiagbah’s comments come amid ongoing debate over the vetting of the newly nominated Chief Justice, with the Minority in Parliament calling for the suspension of the process due to pending court cases related to the exit of Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
He emphasised that while the constitutional process for appointing a Chief Justice must continue, there is no need to rush the process unnecessarily.