Feature Article of Thursday, 24 May 2012Columnist: Nyamador, Del S.The Volta Youth League is shocked and scandalized at the Supreme Court’s decision to give legitimacy to the New Patriotic Party’s ‘property owning’ philosophy by ruling in favour of the chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey in a suit brought against him by Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa for the purchase of his official bungalow whilst he and his government were in power.

We are told that Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey followed due process in acquiring the said property and that no rules were flouted. Our fear and worry is that by the Supreme Court’s decision, the floodgates have been opened for serving government appointees, senior civil servants, the judiciary to go grabbing their official bungalows and they would be right in the eyes of the law! Are we looking at the spirit or the letter of the law? What happened to morality, ethics? Would the chairman of the NPP, Jake Obestebi-Lamptey sleep easy at this landmark decision in his favour?

If previous governments from the Nkrumah regime had carried out this policy, what would have been left for the NPP to occupy when they came to power? We call on all meaning Ghanaians to interrogate this decision and subject it to critical analysis because if we are not careful, we may wake up one fine morning to realize that all prime government bungalows have been sold off! If there is a flaw in the existing legislation, we call on the authorities and powers that be to take urgent steps to remedy the situation in the interest of mother Ghana.
While we the members of the Volta Youth League respect the legal opinion of the judges, we vehemently disagree on point of morality and the bad legal precedent it has set in motion. Perhaps it is important that we make the following reference for consideration, that according to Walter Williams ‘laws are a poor substitute for common decency and moral values. Secondly according to the Clark Memorandum of 2003 there is a great risk in justifying what we do individually and professionally on the basis of what is legal rather than what is right. If you accept what is legal as your standard of personal or professional conduct you will deny yourself of that which truly noble in your personal dignity and worth. THE Supreme Court ruling we dare say is an affront to the morality of this nation.

Signed:

Del S. Nyamador
National Convener,
Volta Youth League.