The Council of State refused to answer whether or not President Akufo Addo had conveyed to them the 21st February, 2018 Article 146 Petition for the removal of Justice Sophia Akuffo as Chief Justice, as required by law and only answered on 4th February, 2020 after her retirement on her 70th birthday; two (2) years after claiming it was moot due to her retirement on 20th December, 2019.
My 20th February, 2019 letter to the Council of State followed several correspondence including Press Statements and follow up visits to Chairman of the Council of State on the Justice Sophia Akuffo Article 146 Petition;
My 20th February, 2019 letter to the Council of State beyond asking what the Council of State did about the Justice Sophia Akuffo Article 146 Petition, also asked the Council of State to take an interest in the Cathedral Project.
The letter intimated my concerns about the Cathedral Project Land, which in my view had serious issues requiring of the Council of State to visit the Secretariat which was a walking distance away from the office of the Council of State, so they can better appreciate the concerns and advice the President accordingly.
The Legal Affairs and Petitions Committee of the Council of State headed by Lawyer Samuel Okujeto conveniently ignored the issue of the Cathedral Project Land on which construction despite an had commenced despite an injunction filed by Lawyer Bright Akwetey challenging the President’s donation of the Prime Osu Mantse Layout Land for a private project.
The Council of State’s attention was drawn in my letter, to a disturbing claim made on national television [Joy NewsTV] and Radio [Joy FM Super Morning Show] by Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng and Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah of the Cathedral Project Secretariat thar Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo had granted the Cathedral Project Secretariat “JUDICIAL APPROVAL” to start construction work.
If the Council of State had acted as requested and advised President Akufo-Addo, Ghana would not have lost the millions of dollars and hundreds of millions of Ghana Cedis so far spent on the moribund Cathedral Project.
OccupyGhana led by Lawyer Ace Ankoma, Kofi Bentil and Yaw Oppong on Sampson Lardi Anyenini’s Newsfile programme on Joy FM told Ghanaians that President Akufo-Addo was only a conveyor belt in such Article Petition cases and had no choice but to act immediately forward same to the Chief Justice as he did when he received an Article 146 Petition for the removal of a Chairperson of the Electoral Commission as in the instance of Lawyer Charlotte Osei.
Lawyer Ace Ankoma and his friends educated Ghanaians including OccupyGhana’s Kweku Baako that in the case of an Article 146 Petition for the removal of a Chief Justice the President SHALL immediately forward the petition to the Chairman of the Council of State for action since the President in such instance is only a post office address and had no choice but to act immediately or be in breach of the Constitution of Ghana and would amount to committing HIGH CRIME, an offence punishable by the removal of the President from office.
Lawyer Yaw Oppong’s advice that in submitting an Article 146 Petition for the removal of a Chief Justice a copy be made addressed to the Chairman of State was adhered to in the case of the Justice Sophia Akuffo Article 146 Petition.
Yet, when Kwaku Baako confirmed that he was personally aware that President Akufo Addo had indeed received the Article 146 Petition for the removal of Justice Sophia Akuffo on the Newsfile programme; OccupyGhana and Samson Lardi Anyenini continued pretending not to be aware of the Justice Sophia Akuffo Article 146 Petition for two (2) years despite reminders which they considered to be a nuisance.
In fact, there is an Article 146 Petition for the removal of Jean Adukwei Mensa which has not been acted on by President Akufo-Addo for two (2) years since 21st January, 2021 when it was delivered and stamped as received.
LET’S SEE HOW SAMPSON LARDI ANYINENYI AND HIS OCCUPYGHANA FRIENDS CONTINUE TO PRETEND THAT;
1. THERE IS NO ARTICLE 146 PETITION FOR THE REMOVAL OF JEAN ADUKWEI MENSA AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
2.That President Akufo-Addo is no longer required to act as a CONVEYOR BELT in such Article 146 Petition cases.
3. That failure of President Akufo-Addo to act on Article 146 Petition no longer is a BREACH of the Constitution of Ghana.
4. That President Akufo-Addo’s refusal to act on an Article 146 Petition no longer constitutes HIGH CRIME for which he can be removed from office as President.
Ghanaians are resolved to be Citizens and not Spectators.
President Akufo Addo’s refusal to act on the Article 146 Petition for the removal of Justice Sophia Akuffo as Chief Justice may be moot due to her retirement, but the retrieval of the State Lands which was fraudulently allocated to her and several other high profile personalities and organisations who are holding on to the prime La Lands must be retrieved and returned to the La Stool as required by the Constitution of Ghana.
The long list of Land Looters complete with particulars of the fraudulent allocation of State Lands and Bungalows indicating the name of beneficiaries, size and location of land, date allocated, amount paid.
E.g. Justice Sophia Akuffo paid GHc7000 for Prime Cantonments State Land worth millions and Jean Adukwei Mensa’s IEA was allocated plot C39 of Prime State Land in Cantonments where a plush hotel is today springing up…
The long list of names of the high profile personalities attached to the Sophia Akuffo Article 146 Petition included Yaw Osafo Maafo who is senior advisor to President Akufo-Addo and many Ministers of President Akufo-Addo must be acted upon and the Prime State Land retrieved despite the retirement of Justice Sophia Akuffo.
Proceeds of Galamsey and Corruption are often laundered through such fraudulent land transactions to avoid trace if lodged in bank accounts.
Special Prosecutor has recieved a copy of the long list of beneficiaries of the fraudulent allocation of State Lands attached to the Justice Sophia Akuffo Article 146 Petition.
FRAUD VICIATES ALL.
All fraudulent allocations of State Lands by the Lands Commission are a nullity; therefore void and of no consequence…
It will be great to hear from Justice Sophia Akuffo now that she has been ungagged and refusing to return the land as was done by her predecessor Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Woode.
STAY TUNED.
By Prince-Derek Adjei