The highly reserved and soft-spoken Lawyer, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, has for the first time, unleashed her restraint and like an angry mother, charged at the current occupant of the office, Godfred Yeboah Dame, describing him as “Immature, childish, clueless, unprofessional”.
In what appears to be an effort to straighten up a wayward 43-year old “boy”, Marietta found it rather unfortunate that, after more than two years in-charge as Attorney-General, Godfred Dame, has refused to grow up, but proven to be still clueless, immature and childish.
Marietta, made the observation while commenting on a Facebook post by Beatrice Annan, a young female lawyer, who is a staunch member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Beatrice, who equally took issues with the A-G, first fired at him, saying “Godfred Dame is the most childish politician and political sycophant in the 4th Republic. Utter Nonsense. His Speech at the Bar Conference is so low that no AG should descend this low into the gutters”.
Mr Dame, who was speaking at the Ghana Bar Association’s Annual Conference on Monday in Ho attended by the former AG, said Mr Mahama’s conduct and utterances against the judiciary are “deplorable”.
Mr Dame, said non-lawyer Mahama was abetted by lawyers to impugn the judiciary.
“I am compelled to comment on same in this address because they border on the security of the state and constitute a deliberate pattern of conduct aimed at undermining the independence of the Judiciary, an arm of government whose autonomy is crucial to its proper functioning” Dame said.
“Such conduct is clearly deplorable, coming from one who has occupied the highest office of President and aspires again to that office. At this moment, it is important for all to note that I express this sentiment not because I stand in opposition to former President Mahama as a politician. My dismay is founded more on the fact that I am a lawyer and every lawyer ought to be concerned about these kinds of views expressed by a political leader in this country,” Dame added.
But Marietta Brew, said Dame’s remarks against Mr Mahama, using the Bar forum was childish, unprofessional and immature.
“I’m sitting right here in Ho. He’s Childish, immature and unprofessional. Unfortunately, After 2 years he’s still clueless about the role of the Attorney- General” she wrote.
The former AG, who was Instrumental in Ghana’s ITLOS victory against Ivory Coast in the famous Maritime Dispute rarely comments on public issues. Her latest comments surprised many people.
Mrs. Joyce Bawa Mogtari, an aide to Mr Mahama, has asked the public to disregard Dame’s response to the former President, describing it as a “rants” of a “baby”.
“Ignore the rants of “baby” Godfred Dame, who was probably not old enough to vote in the 28th April 1992 referendum to accept the draft constitution, and yet has the impudence to insult John Mahama and describes all Lawyers affiliated with the NDC as ‘abettors’”
The Former President, speaking at the NDC’s Lawyers’ Conference on Sunday, August 28, said it will take a new Chief Justice to repair the ‘broken image’ of the Judiciary.
According to him, the current leadership of the Judiciary lacks what it takes to redeem its sunken image, hence the need for a new Chief Justice.
According to Mrs. Bawa Mogtari, the A-G was too young at the time the 1992 Constitution was promulgated to appreciate Mr. Mahama’s criticism of the Judiciary.
As a result, she wants any comments by him on Mr Mahama’s comments to be ignored.
Madam Bawa Mogtari, also insisted that “no Attorney-General has used the Bar conference as a platform to attack a Former President, fellow lawyers or a political party and its leader!,” she added in a Tweet.
On his part, former Deputy Information Minister, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, questioned Dame’s locus to chastise former President Mahama over his criticism of the judiciary.
Reacting to the reply of the Attorney General today, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, said Godfred Yeboah Dame is not in a position to give the NDC and John Dramani Mahama any legal advice on the country’s judiciary.
“Godfred Dame is ill-suited to offer any legal advice to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Ghana’s judiciary.
“There’s no merit in AG’s attacks on John Dramani Mahama over the judiciary,” the former Deputy Information Minister said on Asempa FM during an engagement on the ‘Ekosii sen’ programme.
Felix Ofosu Kwakye continued, “Who’s Godfred Dame to chastise John Dramani Mahama on the judiciary? He has no locus to talk about the former president.”
In his criticism of the President Akufo-Addo government, the aide to ex-President John Dramani Mahama, said Ghana is suffering because of profligacy and corruption of the government. He said the Akufo-Addo government is going down in history as the most corrupt in the country.
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has since jumped to the defence of the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, for using the Bar Conference to criticise attacks on the judiciary by former President Mahama.
According to the spokesperson of the Association, Saviour Kudze, the comment by the Justice Minister was only an admonishment to lawyers saying the AG’s comments should not be twisted.
“The Attorney General is the official leader of the Bar and, at an annual conference like this, he addresses lawyers and I think that is the best platform to admonish lawyers because it is expected that most lawyers would be at the conference.
“He did not use the conference to talk about only the former president. His concern is that ‘you are lawyers; the former president who is a non-lawyer made this statement. I thought you would have at least said that Mr Candidate, Mr leader of party, former president, you shouldn’t have said so,’” Saviour Kudze noted.
