Editorial
Housing unit for Appeal Court judges commendable
Dear Editor,
Somewhat last week, I read the report about President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurating a 20-unit residential complex for Justices of the Court of Appeal in Kumasi as part of his recent tour of the Ashanti Region.
The houses, according to the report, would be occupied by Justices serving the Northern Sector of the country, which comprises Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Savannah, North East, Upper East, Northern and Upper West regions.
The project which was funded through the District Assemblies Common Fund, according to the President was part of efforts by the government to bring justice delivery closer to the people.
I am impressed with the project and its objective but I have heard critics say the President does not deserve praise because he had previously presided over demolition of bungalows housing judges in Accra to make way for construction of the National Cathedral. I find this position rather mischievous.
A member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral had once explained that the judges bungalows were dilapidated structures constructed since 1920 hence the decision to pull them down. If the justification for the demolition was anything to go by, then clearly those bungalows had not been renovated and were on the verge of collapse.
It is, therefore, disingenuous to discredit or compare the newly inaugurated housing units in Kumasi with those that were demolished for ‘strategic reasons.’ I do not think we should ‘downgrade’ this massive infrastructural development which would motivate the judiciary to work harder and promote the rule of law, just as the President stated.
Frank Twum Akwaboah
Kukurantumi – Eastern Region
Dear Editor,
I wish to use this esteemed platform to urge the traditional councils of Osu and La to call for independent investigation into the recent demolition exercise at Kaajaano.
The exercise rendered hundreds homeless.
Information about the reason for the demolition has been scanty with those desiring to know feeding heavily on social media posts.
One particular name –Jato, has been associated with it but under whose instruction the exercise was carried is also not known.
Sadly, instead of getting to know who ordered the demolition and for what reasons, traditional authorities of Osu and La have been embroiled in a tug-of-war over ownership of the said land.
This is premature. At this moment, they should call for investigation into the exercise to know the people behind it.
When that is done, then discussions about the owners of the site can begin. That would end the posture of the two neighbouring town which has the potential to turn into something else.
Ataa Osa Mensah,
Osu
Dear Editor,
I wish to use your respected platform to draw the attention of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to the behaviour of traders and some drivers about the use of lower denomination coins, specifically the 20 and 10 pesewas.
About two weeks ago, I read in your sister newspaper, The Ghanaian Times about this problem and the caution that followed from the BoG and some economic analysts.
The warning they gave was that the continuous rejection of the notes could create pricing problems which can eventually affect inflation.
I thought that would put to bed that practice or refusal to accept the coins when given out as change or use to pay for particular service.
Unfortunately, the problem still persist among traders, drivers, customers and passengers alike. Only last week, there was as altercation in the Accra Central area where a woman refused to accept five 20 pesewas note totaling one cedi.
As the argument continued, the trader decided not to sell to the customer again after by-standers explained to her that it was still a legal tender and those that refused it could become offenders.
This is an issue the BoG and other regulatory agencies must go and explain to the people and let them know that it is unlawful not to accept a currency that is still in use.
It nothing was done, it could create a much more serious problems.
Mary Osei Badu,
Swedru
