Before the clock strikes noon tomorrow, Atuguba JSC will lead out a panel of nine ennobled Justices of Ghana’s Supreme Court to make a pronouncement that will rank as only second to that made at the Polo Grounds in Accra on March 6, 1957.
This will be the real and proper manifestation of President Atuguba’s astute and historically pregnant declaration that “At long last the Battle of the Pink Sheets is over.”
Tomorrow is the day when we the people of Ghana will finally be told of the outcome of the votes we cast on December 7/8, 2012 to elect a new President of Ghana. That John Dramani Mahama was sworn in by Justice’s Atuguba’s boss on January 7, 2013 and has been enjoying the full and awesome powers of the “Executive Powers of Ghana” is alas, only a little awkward but factually unavoidable aberration.
Tomorrow is fiili fiili day. The nine noble Lords (pardon my gender insensitivity) will unlock the padlocks to expose the law that has been clasped to their collective bosoms from April 16, 2013 when the proceedings of the petition started. As someone said about statistics, "although what they reveal by way of the actual judgment will be interesting and significant, the underlying reasoning behind their actual decision and their implications for our collective future will turn out to be more significant".
From where I have sat and observed, and occasionally put in my “pink sheet” GH1.00 bit, albeit at the risk of being pushed over the edge of cliff where I am perilously perched, the actual pronouncement of the Verdict, as important to the protagonists as it should be, will be more about what has taken place in our country since the petitioners decided to contest the result declared by Dr Afari-Gyan on December 09 2012.
At the risk of being slapped for contempt as Atuguba JSC’s panel final “nail in the coffin” act, the nearly nine months of who won exposition may come down ultimately to their Lordships’ interpretation as to whether biometric voting is a process or a single specific act.
Enough speculation has gone into what the outcome will be. A lot more energy has been dispensed on “Wishing a particular outcome”. The Ultimate Boss of our being on this planet, whether in the guise of God, Allah, Buddah or even my ancestor, Okomfo Anokye, has been pestered and hammered with non-stop intercessory pleadings.
If you thought our ennobled Lordships have been facing a tough time, take a pause from the main prayer and do a little aside for the wahala we are all bringing onto our Maker; whom we are asking (nay demanding) to choose from amongst His/Her children, by “intercepting and diverting” the outcome emanating from the wisdom granted to those He/She has created in His/Her own image, namely, Atuguba JSC and his eight brothers and sisters. Pardon my Christian bias; blame it on the missionaries. Maybe when I have done “Mr Documents” transition to another faith, I may be able to illustrate my point from grounds of faith.
Should the verdict come down in the petitioner’s favour, meaning any decision that truncates or halts JDM’s current tenure as President, it will be the first and so far judicially adjudicated version of three editions of “The Stolen Verdict” that have been authored by the political party of the petitioners in the 21 years of being of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
On the other hand, if our Lordships share the respondent’s assertion that the result pronounced and gazetted by Dr Afari-Gyan on December 9 2012, is indeed the certified true copy of the “will of the people”, then John Mahama can breathe a big “phew” and carry on taking all, at least for now.
“Y3n ara y3n asase ni” is not the copyright of any political party in Ghana, nor does it lie in the bosom of the political ambitions of any Ghanaian living anywhere. It is a domesticated expression of our commitment and determination to live as one people and one nation with a common destiny.
"Hail to thy name, O Ghana; To thee we make our solemn vow: Steadfast to build together; A nation strong in Unity; With our gifts of mind and strength of arm, Whether night or day, in the midst of storm; In every need, whate'er the call may be, To serve thee, Ghana, now and evermore."
As we await tomorrow’s historic verdict, let us all “chew baba” the words of the second stanza of our national anthem so we may all sing it in unison and accept that this judgement day will not be the start of the “fire and brimstone” kind that portends the “End of Oman Ghana”. Whether stolen or the certified true copy, the judgment tomorrow will be our Maker’s answer to our prayers; no matter the wish we took to him. “Asommdwei, nhyira ne aseda y3 awurade dea.”
To our Lordships Justice William Atuguba (presiding), Mr Justice Julius Ansah, Mrs Justice Sophia Adinyira, Ms Justice Rose Owusu, Mr Justice Jones Dotse, Mr Justice Annin Yeboah, Mr Justice P. Baffoe-Bonnie, Mr Justice N.S. Gbadegbe and Mrs Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo, Ghana says a big, big thank you for your extraoridnary and selfless service to your nation on this landmark point in Oman Ghana’s existence.
May “onyankopon” in His/Her various manifestations of faith, richly bless you all “in our name and on our behalf.”
I, Rev. Dr Pastor Tarzan, acting in Jesus’ name and on His behalf, fortified by the “Boodua” of my ancestor Okomfo Anokye, and accepting the inherent “Justice for all their children” philosophy of “Insha Allah”, do commend the people of Ghana for committing themselves to peace until the actual final judgement day comes (as prescribed by everyone of us’ own personal Maker).
Tarzan’s take on verdict: 9-0 to the successful side; the acceptable face of “winner takes all.”
The writer is Chief Policy Analyst, Ghana Institute for Public Policy Options(GIPPO)
Email: tarzan@eyetarzan.org