An adviser to former President John Mahama, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, has denigrated a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko for lambasting Mahama’s opinion on the Supreme Court ruling that deputy Speakers of Parliament can vote on motions while presiding.
Mr. Mahama response to the Supreme Court ruling said that deputy Speakers of Parliament can vote on motions while presiding will plunge the country into an “absurdity”.
Aghast at the ruling in a Twitter post, Mahama said “If Deputy Speakers, because they are Members of Parliament, can vote while presiding as Speaker, they could as well be able to participate in any debate on the floor over which they are presiding. This is the absurdity into which the Supreme Court ruling leads us.”
Gabby takes on Mahama’s opinion
But Gabby said, Mahama may be forgiven for his utterances on the Supreme Court ruling on the right of Deputy Speakers to vote while presiding in the House because his understating of the law is limited.
In a Twitter post on Saturday, March 12, 2022, he said “You may choose to forgive John Mahama because his elementary understanding of the law is evidently small, going by his reactions to Supreme Court decisions – except ex-presidents are expected not to speak loosely against the 3 arms of Govt. But, what about lawyer Alban Bagbin?”
Mogtari fires Gabby
Joyce Bawah Mogtari has fired back at Gabby for questioning Mahama’s criticism of the Supreme Court ruling.
In a Facebook post, she asked “Who is Gabby, in comparison to Mr. John Dramani Mahama?”
She said “And who says one must have a knowledge of the law to proffer an opinion, share a view or criticize rulings of the Supreme Court. Some students of the law and even lawyers lack the basic understanding of the Law; the fact that they are lawyers notwithstanding. The SC is not above criticism or scrutiny.
“The bedrock of every democracy is freedom of speech first and foremost. To say nobody should criticize an institution created for the people is within itself absurd. We should stop making a myth about these Judges; most of them were students at some point, had colleagues at the Bar before becoming judges.
“They are mandated to defend and protect our rights in a democratic dispensation. In any case, who is Gabby, in comparison to President John Dramani Mahama? Did Mr. Mahama not support his disagreement with the SC with more cogent, intelligent, and practical constitutional arguments than President Akufo-Addo did in his poorly arranged no-question interview?”
“John Mahama’s understanding of the law, parliamentary and governance experience, practical use of the law, etc cannot be disrespected in any way, unless by persons steeped in arrogance, outright disrespect, and despotic behaviour,” she noted.
