Stan Dogbe, a Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations at the PresidencyStan Dogbe, a Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations at the Presidency, has dismissed claims that President John Dramani Mahama is engaging in retaliatory politics in the ongoing process to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and an alliance of opposition parties staged the #SaveTheJudiciaryDemo, calling on the President to reverse the suspension of the Chief Justice and halt the removal process.
Presenting a petition to the Presidency on Monday, May 5, the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, accused the President of engaging in retaliatory politics and described the suspension as an assault on the judiciary.
Responding on behalf of the Presidency, Mr. Dogbe said the mention of retaliation is itself an admission that the former NPP government may have acted improperly in the past.
He, however, stressed that President Mahama is not motivated by revenge and will abide by due process, allowing the committee probing the petitions to complete its work independently.
“President Mahama does not believe in retaliatory politics. He’s described as a father-for-all kind of President. Everybody knows that the decisions being taken now are in line with the provisions of our 1992 Constitution.
“It is not about retaliating for something done by the previous administration against President Mahama or the NDC. The process that is ongoing is constitutional, and I believe that once the committee concludes its work, the President will accept whatever outcome they present.
“Just as the Council of State’s advice to the President was binding, the decision of the committee will also be binding,” Mr. Dogbe stated.
