“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” — Chinua Achebe
📌 Introduction
In a democracy, silence is not always golden. Sometimes, it is complicity. Ghana’s institutions—especially those tasked with defending justice—must be held to a higher standard. When they speak selectively, they betray the very ideals they were created to uphold. Today, we confront a troubling pattern: institutional silence in the face of injustice, and selective outrage when it suits partisan convenience.
⚖️ The Ghana Bar Association: A Barometer or a Bystander?
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is constitutionally mandated to defend the rule of law. Yet, its recent posture suggests a troubling tilt:
It roars when the NDC is in power, citing constitutional breaches and judicial interference. But it whispers—or disappears—under NPP administrations, even amid election-related killings, judicial bias, and executive overreach.
“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.” — Chinua Achebe
Where was the GBA when eight Ghanaians were killed during the 2020 elections, including the tragic deaths at Techiman South? Where was its legal advocacy, its moral outrage, its constitutional voice?
🩸 Techiman South: The Tragedy We Must Not Forget
The Techiman South incident is not just a statistic—it is a national scar. Unarmed civilians were gunned down during vote collation. No public inquiry. No institutional reckoning. No justice.
🕊️“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” — Desmond Tutu
The silence of the GBA and other legal institutions in this moment was deafening. It sent a chilling message: some lives matter less when the perpetrators wear the right colors.
🕯️ Martyrs Day and the Politics of Memory
Every year, we commemorate the judges murdered in 1982 under the PNDC regime. Their deaths were a national tragedy—and rightly so. But justice must be consistent, not convenient.
“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
If we honor judicial martyrs, we must also honor electoral martyrs. If we demand accountability for 1982, we must demand it for 2020. Anything less is selective outrage masquerading as principle.
🗣️ Proverbs and Prophets: The Moral Voice of the People
As A.B.A. Fuseini once quipped, “When the crocodile emerges from the river and tells you the fish is dead, you do not argue.” The people have spoken. They see the double standards. They feel the betrayal.
And Scripture is clear:
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” — Isaiah 1:17
“When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” — Proverbs 21:15
Justice is not a partisan tool. It is a sacred trust.
🌍 Global Echoes: Justice Is a Universal Language
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
“There is a higher court than courts of justice, and that is the court of conscience.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Across the world, justice is not measured by eloquent speeches or ceremonial robes. It is measured by courage in the storm, by truth in the face of power, and by consistency in the defense of the voiceless.
📣 Our Call to Action
This is not a partisan cry. It is a civic awakening. We demand:
Equal outrage for all victims, regardless of political context. Transparent investigations into electoral violence, especially Techiman South. Institutional courage from the GBA, judiciary, and civil society.
“The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
🕊️ But it only bends when we push.📣
Retired Senior Citizen
Teshie-Nungua
[email protected]
#JusticeIsNotSelective
#TechimanTruth
#SpeakForTheFallen
#InstitutionalIntegrity
#CivicCourage
