PRESIDENT John Dramani Mahama on Monday swore into office Justice Yaw Appau, as the Sole Commissioner of Judgment debt. His main task is ?to investigate the judgment debt cases the nation has been confronted with. This measure is in fulfillment of President Mahama?s pledge to Ghanaians in his broadcast to the nation to appoint an independent sole commissioner for this purpose.?
JUSTICE Yaw Appau, whose job is for a period of one year, has vowed to leave no stone unturned in his quest to ensure that truth surrounding judgment debts is unraveled. According to him, although his appointment came to him as a surprise, the issue of judgment debt ?is of public concern, all Ghanaians are worried, all of us are worried, the judiciary, we are worried.?
DESPITE his appointment being hailed by supporters and members of the NDC, who see it as a fulfillment of a manifesto promise, the opposition sees it as unnecessary as they accuse him of being a former cadre. This thinking is a reflection of the divisive nature of the country?s politics which opposition and governments in power never see anything positive about the actions of the other.
THAT is by no means suggesting that his appointment is in the right direction, Today is of the opinion that it has come a little too late. Never in the scheme of things would the commissioner have the laxity of time to investigate all the judgment debt payments in a year and if he does the report would be inclusive.
SECONDLY, Justice Appau, like all other commissioners of anti-corruption institutions, can never present an independent report for prosecution. His report would be reflective of the bidding of the political leader that appointed him to investigate the cases: never should Ghanaians dream of having a report which is not tainted with political colours.
HE and people to be appointed by him later for the job can present nothing but a report that would forever be rejected by Ghanaians and accepted by cronies of the party that chose him. Therefore, President Mahama should come again on the issue of his appointment.
THE solution to the issue of judgment debt payment in the opinion of Today is not a political one and as such the government would have done the country lots of good, if it had distanced itself from it. Instead of appointing a sole commissioner to go into it, a bi-partisan independent committee could have been inaugurated to go into judgement debt cases.
THIS committee should be charged with ensuring that ?illegal? payments such as the one paid to Alfred Agbesi Woyome is retrieved before it goes forward to investigate others. CP, Rockshell and others must also be made to pay for the differences in their payments.
IT is after Ghana has successfully done this that the government can deal with politicians who were behind these payments. Such politicians, if found guilty, must be sanctioned heavily to serve as deterrence to others; government appointees must likewise be cautioned to be circumspect in revoking contracts signed under previous regimes or the country would continuously be paying judgment debts.
