The Ghanaian Journal

The Presidential Candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom has stated categorically that he will cause the discontinuation of the many charges against former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and other former government functionaries at the law courts.

In the opinion of the CPP Flagbearer, such cases against former government officials set the country on the edge, thus making the country thread dangerously on often ill-perceptions that give rise to many interpretations that do not help promote cohesiveness and unity in the country.

“I will discontinue with the cases against Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Tsatsu Tsikata and other former government functionaries because the cases against them have created the wrong signals has brought all manner of negative perceptions”, he noted.

When pressed whether such a stance would not amount to condoning wrong doings, Dr. Nduom said as a country, there comes a time that it becomes necessary to give meaning to proper healing of wounds and the first step would be to wipe the slate clean so as to have the confidence of the people in the pursuant of proper reconciliation.

And that would not be the first a sitting President would be exercising such prerogative of mercy.
The Kufuor-led NPP administration in a similar fashion discontinued with the many court cases including that of Nana Kofi Coomson, the Publisher of the Ghanaian Chronicle, who was then facing libel charges at the Fast Track High Court.

Other State functionaries in the current Kufuor administration including Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor and Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyemang although won many cases against The Palaver newspaper, refused to pursue the cost charges brought against the Accra based private newspaper.

According to Dr. Nduom it was not all perceived wrong doings that the state should necessarily pursue, especially when those cases have the potential of further deepening the polarization of the country.

In the opinion of Dr. Nduom the discontinuation of such cases would form the basis for proper and acceptable all inclusiveness and proper reconciliation of the Ghanaian society which in his opinion is totally different from all inclusive government.

“That would ensure that we come together as one people and also make easier, to for instance sit down with former Presidents Kufuor and Rawlings and former Vice Presidents Atta Mills and Alhaji Aliu Mahama”, Dr. Nduom noted.

Dr. Nduom believed that would be the only way to bring the expertise and experience of the former leaders to bear on the country’s body politic, noting that anything short of that “makes it difficult to come together as one country”.

He said that to deal with corruption and other forms of graft there should be fundamental shift in the many institutional arrangements in the country.

In that regard, Dr. Nduom said the right to information act should be passed without any further hesitation, separate the office of the Attorney General’s Department from that of the Ministry of Justice and also to elect District Chief Executives to ensure that they become accountable to the people at the local levels.

According to Dr. Nduom what should gain the attention of our leaders is how to move from the gains achieved politically to the fight against many societal ills like poor housing, ill health, lack of good health, poor drinking water, poor infrastructure etc.

Dr. Nduom said these were the real enemies that the country should be fighting against and not the jailing of former state functionaries, a situation Dr. Nduom believed has the potential of dividing the country permanently on party lines.