[ 2012-05-23 ]

Chief Justice, Mrs. Justice Georgina T. Wood

Volta Youth League slams Supreme Court on Jake bungalow case
The Volta Youth League has stated its surprise at
the decision of the Supreme Court to rule in
favour of National Chairman of the National People
Party (NPP), Jake Obetsebi Lamptey in a case
brought against him for purchasing state
bungalows.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of
Information and Dr. Omane Boamah deputy Sports
Minister dragged the NPP chairman to court
accusing him of abusing his office in his purchase
of a government building at the No 2 Mungo Street
in the Ridge residential area.

But according to the court, Mr. Obetsebi Lamptey
had the right under the constitution to purchase
the bungalow in which he lived because the
bungalow was bought in his capacity as a citizen
of the land and not a minister.

The Volta Youth League in a statement released on
Wednesday said it “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.”

The group said, with this ruling “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!”

The Volta Youth League then indicated that: “the
Supreme Court ruling we dare say is an affront to
the morality of this nation.”

Read the full statement below.

VOLTA YOUTH LEAGUE OUTRAGED AT SUPREME COURT’S
DECISION
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.

Source - RadioXYZonline.com

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