The Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to withhold his assent to the recently passed Tribunals Bill, warning that the legislation could pose a threat to Ghana’s justice system.
During his closing remarks at the conclusion of Parliament’s Second Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasized that while the Constitution allows for the creation of tribunals, the country’s Constitutional Review Committee had recommended their abolition.
“The President’s own review team advised him to close this chapter. Instead, his allies in Parliament pushed to open it again,” he stated.
He expressed concern that history has shown tribunals to be vulnerable to misuse, recalling allegations of human rights abuses tied to public tribunals in the 1980s.
According to him, the new legislation permits individuals without legal training to preside over serious criminal cases.
“Power without proper training, wrapped in immunity, is a significant risk in a country with our history,” he warned.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin explicitly appealed to President Mahama:
“Standing firmly behind our flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, we ask President Mahama: do not sign this bill. Send it back for reconsideration. Listen, just this once, to your own Committee.”
He also cautioned that tribunals set up today against political opponents could, in the future, be used against current government officials.
“A tribunal designed to target opponents today might be turned against you tomorrow. No one benefits from that game. Only the rule of law suffers,” he concluded.
