Vacant Seat Ruling: Supreme Court Displaying Hypocrisy- IMANI Boss

The founding President of local think tank IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjo has criticized the Supreme Court’s posture in accepting to hear the case involving the declaration of four seats vacant by Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.

In a comparison with the case of Guan Constituency also known as SALL, he judged that the apex court displayed “hypocrisy and double standards”.

“I am so shocked at the level of hypocrisy and double standards displayed by the Supreme Court today.  The Chief Justice was so invested in the representation of constituents whose pampered MPs had decided to abandon them for other parties after representing them for nearly four years.

“And yet, when my SALL  people were deliberately disenfranchised and we ran to the same Supreme Court for protection, it did not offer this level of comfort it so lavishly and without shame displayed today towards other constituencies,” he said in a Facebook post after the Supreme Court’s ruling on some motions filed by the Speaker on October 30.

His judgement relies on how the SC “discarded and dispatched” them to the High Court to “try our luck” when the constituents beseeched it for expeditious protection of their rights.

“So we went to the High Court to start our SALL case. Guess what? After 3 years of making our case, the High Court ruled a few months ago that it had no jurisdiction to hear our case. For four years, we have been rendered orphans and ostracised by the system, and yet we paid taxes, although we saw no development.”

He believes the SC’s posture in the latest case is politically motivated.

“We are appealing to the Superior Court. However, with today’s contrived, shambolic display of ‘politically bias’ support for some Ghanaians, I am not sure we will get to be heard until forever.  What was so special about the 4 constituencies whose MPs had abandoned in their hearts that the Supreme Court can even entertain the hearing of an ex-parte motion procured cheaply at the speed of light and rule on that?

“That the delinquent MPs salaries and emoluments will be affected? Really??  Why didn’t the Supreme Court rely on the same principle it applied against SALL to lawyers of the Majority Leader?  This is just precocious judicial terrorism aided by legal plunder.  Sad.”

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini