Counting Justice Atuguba's "Pink Sheets"

While he is openly Biased causes Consternation

"Good name is better than riches", so an old adage goes. Being derisively openly biased can oftentimes come back to bite or haunt you. Additionally, being stubborn, raising both shoulders to signal your nonchalance or to shrug off even more important issues and deliberations can seriously compromise your integrity, credibility and respectability.

"Obstinacy is the cause of the horns of the hornbill". My deceased elder brother (name withheld), introduced me to this English version of our Twi proverb, "Se antie ne owam atiko po", over forty years ago. I believe in the inviolability of the proverb. It has always been a pivot on which my interactions with people revolve. It is also a searchlight guiding me from falling into unnecessary traps.

Do I not admonish people not to be ludicrously obstinate? Did I not advise Dr Afari Gyan in my write-ups not to be obstinate when he was bent on creating the newly forty-five constituencies against all admonitions to the contrary by many an intelligent Ghanaian? Did I not advise him against seeing himself as God or playing God when he thought himself the most powerful being in Ghana, coming out with regulations that could make or break the then impending 2012 elections? Failing to heed my advice, he is now sitting in a witness box, panicking, with spectators unable to make head and tail of his explanatory answers to questions asked.

As obstinate as Dr Afari Gyan became, fobbing off Ghanaians with his newly acquired intimidation tactics, what has become of him now? He is sitting in a Supreme Court witness box, fingering his nose, scratching his head, getting confused and gazing absent-mindedly at the ceiling as though he is by himself or is lost in the thicket or the residual forest of Brekum in the Brong-Ahafo region. He is now as confused as one of the confused rivers meandering in the Amazon forest in South America. I am too sure he is soliloquizing, saying, "Had I known, I should have listened to that son of Kumawu/Asiampa when he warned me against my stubbornness. Here I am sitting in a court witness box with all eyes and ears focused on me like a fool".

As it is the case with Dr Afari Gyan, so shall it become with Justice Atuguba should he continue to be openly biased. I have severally advised him against his untoward open biased attitudes which are on camera. The whole world is watching him. He should not assume he is a Lord in Ghana, with the ability to cause his wishes to happen at the crack of his brittle fingers, so he has the right to behave anyhow. The world is bigger than Ghana as the pen is mightier than the sword. The whole world is watching him. He had better be careful and conduct himself professionally cautiously.

For the deplorably biased attitudes already displayed by Justice Atuguba, the Presiding Judge sitting on the Election 2012 petition filed by Nana Akufo Addo & Co against the Electoral Commission and President Mahama for rigging the election, many are those doubting his credibility. They wonder how counting his share of the pink sheet copies could be used as any effective control check against the audited ones of the Court registry which are doubted, questioned and challenged by the counsels (Lawyers Quarshie-Idun, Tony Lithur & Tsatsu Tsikata) for the respondents (Electoral Commission, President Mahama & the NDC).

Many are of the opinion that they had better use any of the other judge's apart from those of Justice Atuguba. My question to those people holding on to that idea is, why? It is all because they have no trust in him; he can't be fair-minded, just and credible. No, this is a very serious vicious slur on his integrity, image and professionalism. Then it is up to him to redeem his near-soiled image, an opinion held by many watching him live on Television or internet.

I support his copies of the pink sheets being used to cross-check those of the court registry already audited by KPMG. We shall see how credible he is. People suspect his copies are compromised because of his closeness to the respondents. I find that allegation hard to believe. Let us give him the benefit of the doubt. If he is that inherently biased, favouring the NDC as many do suspect, we shall see it from the counting of his copies of the pink sheets.

There shall always be control mechanisms in place against open biases.

Stay tuned for more info from one of the wise sons from Kumawu/Asiampa. I am making my parents, Kumawu/Asiampa compatriots, family, siblings and myself proud by taking the mighty ones by the horn but not the tail. I will ensure they feel compelled to answer to those they govern or represent at all times.

I dedicate this article to Mama Ruby & Agya of Canning Town, London. Hey! DJ Sources of Sources radio where are you? "Long time no see….?" Hahahaha! All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.