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Constitution’s impeachment provisions for Chief Justice are ‘inadequate’, says Sophia Akuffo
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called into question the adequacy of constitutional provisions for the impeachment of the Chief Justice.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, January 7, she offered a nuanced critique of the process while responding to recent calls by legal scholar Professor Kweku Asare for the removal of the Chief Justice.
She emphasized the importance of due process and highlighted gaps in the current framework, noting that impeachment is a serious and complex procedure that must be anchored in robust constitutional guidelines.
“Impeachment Is Not Simple Removal”
When asked about Professor Asare’s demand for the Chief Justice’s removal in the waning days of President Akufo-Addo’s tenure, Madam Akuffo was direct.
“What has she done? Has she committed any offence of misconduct? Well, that needs to be proven. You don’t just get up and impeach,” she stated.
Clarifying the distinction between “removal” and “impeachment,” Sophia Akuffo noted that the latter involves a detailed constitutional process.
“Let’s not even use the word ‘removal,’ because before you reach removal, you’re going to go through an impeachment process, which must follow the dictates of the Constitution,” she explained.
“Constitutional Provisions Are Inadequate”
Akuffo expressed concern that Ghana’s Constitution falls short of providing a robust framework for impeaching a Chief Justice or other high-ranking officials.
“Personally, I don’t think the provisions of the Constitution are adequate for the purpose of impeachment of anybody,” she remarked.
She elaborated on the procedural shortcomings, pointing out that the current arrangement places significant power in the hands of the President and the Council of State.
“In the current arrangement, you petition the President, and in the case of the Chief Justice, the matter is referred to the Council of State, which has to go through certain processes,” she said.
The Role of Due Process
Akuffo underscored the importance of adhering to due process in impeachment cases.
“It’s not just a question of, ‘I want to remove this person,’ and then he goes to the Council of State, and then the Council of State comes back and says, ‘Yeah, we agree with you. Go ahead and do it.’ There has to be due process,” she emphasized.
According to Akuffo, due process involves more than simply filing a petition.
“The petition must set out some reason. That’s part of what due process is all about,” she explained, adding that even in lower courts, there are structured processes that must be followed.
Calls for Constitutional Reform
While Akuffo admitted she had not followed the specifics of Professor Asare’s call, she expressed scepticism about whether sufficient justification had been provided.
“I’m yet to know what the justifications are that the petitioner has even for asking the removal of the Chief Justice. It’s not that easy, even under the Constitution as it is now,” she stated.
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Helicopter crash victims laid to rest
The remaining victims of the August 6 helicopter crash were laid to rest at the Military Cemetery at Tse Addo in Accra, following a state funeral at the Black Star Square.
The six included Defence Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Council (NDC), Dr Samuel Sarpong, Deputy Director General of the National Disaster Organisation (NADMO), Samuel Aboagye, and three Ghana Armed Forces officers Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Two of the victims, who are Muslims, Environment Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Mohammed Muniru Limuna were earlier laid to rest.
The funeral ceremony was attended by the President, John Dramani Mahama, Vice President Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemang, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, the Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and service chiefs.
It was a day of pain and sorrow as tributes poured from widows, children, colleagues, and state officials.
President John Dramani Mahama in his speech hailed the deceased as patriots who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.
- Former President John Agyekum Kufuor (second from right), Former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (right), and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin (left) and others
- Former President Akuffo-Addo (fourth from left) and Wife arriving at the Independence Square for the funeral
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
News
UDS student transforms learning in deprived Ashanti community with locally-made school furniture
A student of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Mr Ganiu Salifu Luri, has brought relief and renewed hope to pupils and teachers of Asare Nkwanta, a deprived community in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region, by mobilising residents to manufacture urgently needed school furniture.
Until this intervention, nearly 70 school children in the community endured the discomfort of sitting and lying on the bare floor during lessons, while teachers struggled without desks on which to carry out their work.
The lack of basic learning and teaching resources had long been a barrier to effective education delivery in the community.
Mr Luri, who is serving in Asare Nkwanta as part of the University’s Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP), said the situation deeply moved him when he arrived.
Determined to make a difference, he established a community-based initiative named ‘Equip to Excel,’ aimed at mobilising local residents to address the pressing furniture deficit in the school.
Through his foundation, Mr Luri encouraged community members to contribute wood and other materials, after which he personally undertook the carpentry work to produce desks and tables for the school.
His efforts culminated in a formal presentation of the newly manufactured furniture to the school during an assessment visit by his supervisors, including Dr Hardi Shahadu of UDS.
Community elders and school management described the intervention as a game-changer for education in Asare Nkwanta.
“This has solved one of the most urgent challenges in our school. The children can now learn in comfort, and teachers can work more effectively,” an elder remarked during the handing over ceremony.
Asare Nkwanta is one of many underserved communities in the Sekyere Central District, grappling with inadequate infrastructure, limited educational resources, and socioeconomic challenges.
The TTFPP, a flagship component of UDS’academic calendar sends students to such rural and peri-urban areas to live, work, and identify development needs while implementing practical solutions that leave lasting impact.
Mr Luri’s initiative is one of many innovative projects being undertaken by UDS students across Ghana under the TTFPP.
In various communities, these students have addressed issues ranging from sanitation and water supply to health education and skills training with each project tailored to the needs identified in their host communities.
The Vice-Chancellor of UDS has often described the TTFPP as “the University’s most distinctive contribution to Ghana’s development,” combining academic learning with community service to nurture socially responsible graduates while delivering real change at the grassroots.
For Asare Nkwanta, the desks built through the dedication of a young university student now stand as a lasting reminder that with vision, collaboration, and determination, even the most deprived communities can take steps toward educational transformation.
Credit:https:uds.edu.gh/news
