Akufo-Addo has reformed our judicial system — Adwoa Safo

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the pragmatic implementation of programmes and policies that have transformed the judicial system and made the administration of justice better than before.

She said the deliberate plan by the President to replace all dilapidated buildings for the judiciary with modern ones, as well as provide new infrastructure, especially courtrooms and residential facilities to accommodate judges, had impacted positively on the judicial system.

For instance, she said the days when lawyers sat in dilapidated courtrooms and sweated profusely in their wigs and gowns were now a thing of the past.

Contributions

Contributing to the debate on the President’s Message on the State of the Nation on the floor of Parliament on Monday, March 4, 2024, the former Deputy Majority Leader said, “Mr Speaker, I strongly believe as a person that every leader must leave a legacy to which he or she would be remembered for when he or she is no more a leader. Just as we remember Dr Kwame Nkrumah, our first President, for the construction of our motorway and many more, this country shall forever be grateful and remember His Excellency Nana

Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the conscious and well-calculated efforts and plan to improve and transform our judicial infrastructure.

She said being a lawyer of 20 years of good standing, “I completely appreciate this initiative by the government. Under this government, practising lawyers are more comfortable in our courtrooms.

Sitting in dilapidated courthouses; sweating profusely in our wigs and gowns; Mr Speaker, we can boast that today, it is now a thing of the past”.

However, the Deputy Minority Whip and NDC MP for Bandai, Ahmed Ibrahim, objected to her claims, noting that the provision of infrastructure for the judiciary across the country was the sole initiative of Parliament.

Infrastructure

He said the judiciary infrastructure that was being provided through the District Assemblies Common Fund was initiated by Parliament and not President Akufo-Addo.

The Court of Appeals houses in Kumasi, he said, were initiated by the House and not the President and that they were funded by the District Assemblies Common Fund, and it was “you as the Speaker and Haruna Iddrisu, as the Minority Leader who said the court infrastructure in this country is so bad that we must allocate a portion of the Common Fund disbursement for that.  These didn’t come from the Central Government’s disbursement.

It was initiated from this House and approved by this House”.

His concern was re-echoed by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who presided over the sitting.

House

“This is the tragedy of this House. You keep on undermining the relevance of Parliament by attributing whatever you do and achieve to others.

This was done here in Parliament, and we, year-in-and-year-out, approve the money from the Common Fund to support the judiciary for what you are talking about.

The President is taking this away from us, you are supporting him and the judiciary, I have had a personal discussion with the Chief Justice on this and they are aware that we approved the money and we got it released from the