Don't make promises that you cannot keep - Politicians told

Accra, March 11, GNA - Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, a Human Rights Lawyer, on Thursday urged politicians not to make promises that they could not keep.

He said many politicians made promises that they did not intend to keep and advised people to learn to keep their oath, pledges, promises and faith with Ghana.

Prof. Attafuah made the statement at the fifth Re Akoto Memorial Lecture on the topic: "Oaths, Pledges and Promises to Keep: Advancing Human Rights in Volatile Political Times", organized by the Ghana Law School (GSL).

The Lecture is part of activities to celebrate the 51st GSL SRC Week on the theme: "Upholding Fundamental Human Rights, The Role of the Law Student."

Prof. Attafuah said it was time that people especially the younger generation moved away from ideologies of the past and the NDC and NPP politics and concentrate on what they could do to help build their country. Answering questions from students who expressed concern about the frustrations people face in an attempt to be different and to contribute their quota to building the country, he particularly expressed worry about people's removal from office because of their perceived political affiliation.

Prof. Attafuah therefore advised politicians to appoint people based on their competence and not on their political affiliation since that would destroy the country.

"Unless we get good and competent people working as public servants, we are joking," he said and urged particularly the law students to be concerned about happenings in the country especially those that bother on constitutional rights of people.

Nana Dr. Susubribi Krobea Asante, who chaired the lecture, comparing the making of oaths, pledges and promises of politicians to that of kings, said swearing an oath had an accompanying sanction if the one who swore was not able to keep the promise.

He therefore called on Ghanaians to hold public officers accountable to their promises and responsibilities. 11 March 10