We Need Good Lawyers, Not Lots Of Lawyers - Chief Justice hits back

The Chief Justice has reiterated her stands on legal education in Ghana, JoyNews’ Maxwell Agbagba has reported.

 According to Sophia Akuffo, it is better to have few qualified lawyers to many with compromised quality. Speaking on the topic ‘Questing for Excellence’ at the 2019 University of Ghana Alumni Lectures, Justice Akuffo told the gathering “a good lawyer for each Ghanaian is what we deserve. Not lots of lawyers.

   For emphasis, she added, “I will stand here again and say we need quality lawyers, not mass-produced lawyers.”

  This was the third time ( in less than three months), the Chairman of the Ghana Legal Council, the body responsible for regulating the legal profession in the country, has expressed her convictions publicly on the vexed issue of legal education.

 The first was at the Bench, Bar and Faculty Conference at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra on July 2019.

      There, she told lawyers and lecturers “who are busy advocating free scale, mass admissions into the professional law course, and mass production of lawyers, (to) be careful what they wish for.”               

According to her “so long as (she) has anything to do with it (legal education), it won’t happen.”

 “Just like you can’t mass produce doctors and surgeons, Ghanaians must not have mass-produced lawyers imposed on them, ” the Chief Justice added.

 To further drive home this point, on Friday, October 4, 2019, at a ceremony to enrol newly qualified lawyers into the Bar, Madam Sophia Akuffo said although plans are far advanced for the commencement of the construction of a larger campus for the Ghana School of Law, it will not translate into mass admissions.

 “Plans have been made for the creation of new and other campuses away from the hustle and bustle of central Accra for which land was acquired some years ago. The plan for the execution of this project is expected to be captured in the 2020 budget which is being prepared now.

 “But, however much available space is increased, the GLC [General Legal Council] will never relent on its commitment to assure us of the production of quality lawyers through the observation of highest standards,” she told the gathering.



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Alexiglam Make Up Launched

      The award-winning Makeup guru, Sandra Alexandrina Don-Arthur brings beauty to the doorstep of Africans with Alexiglam Studio.
       For a long time, Africa and its people have been left out of the global beauty narrative despite the pivotal role they play in this industry. This rather sad occurrence has affected African woman especially and the other key stakeholders but this is changing. As more and more people come to embrace the fact black and brown skin beauty issues matte, it gives rise to avenues to help tackle and develop tailor-made beauty solutions for women of colour.
 

      With this in mind, multiple award-winning Ghanaian Makeup-artist, Alexandrina Don-Arthur whose talent has taken from Accra to Lagos and New York is bringing beauty to the doorstep of every woman. Under her flagship brand, Alexiglam Studio, the prolific beauty guru will provide a platform to educate upcoming artists on proper and effective makeup techniques, a beauty studio for her wide range of clientele, a beauty resource hub where top-notch African products are stocked and a content creation platform for both photographers and professional MUA’s At a press event to introduce the Alexiglam brand to the world in Accra, C.E.O of the studios, Alexandrina Don-Arthur who has worked with key celebrities in Ghana such as Joselyn Dumas, Jackie Appiah, Juliet Ibrahim, Victoria Michaels and many others was hopeful that the brand will help fill the huge gap in the beauty industry across the continent. “There’s so much beauty all around us, you have no idea and as creatives, this studio is here to help bridge that gap whilst offering 360 beauty experience to both men and women ,” Alexandrina observe She also said that “the beauty industry is growing and the time is really now for Africans to take things into their own hands and create a narrative that is proudly ours, we can’t let others do it for us. This studio is coming at a perfect time and we hope to take the lead in the beauty industry” Alexiglam Studios also announced the launch of their website and took the media through its content as well as navigation. They also used the occasion to announce the YouTube channel which will host a number of beauty content with a teaser. About Alexiglam Studios Located in the business district of Osu in the capital of Ghana, Alexiglam is a professional beauty resource hub providing a one-stop-shop for all makeup professionals. It houses a studio, makeup school for upcoming makeup artists or already established acts who need to brush up their skills and a shop that stocks globally-recognized products for beauty and makeup lovers across Africa. Alexiglam under its founder, Sandra Alexandrina Don-Arthur has been pivotal in the growth of the beauty industry at home and across the continent with several beauty contents under its belt includes Makeup Diaries.
   They are also the creators and executive producers for “Glam it Up... with Alexandrina”; a beauty show yet to air on TV and online that brings beauty and fashion influencers from across Africa to discuss beauty news and trends in a fun and interesting setting.

Retable Conduct of Public Officers Bill: Occupy Ghana backs CHRAJ

Pressure group, Occupy Ghana has backed calls asking government to retable the Conduct of Public Officers Bills in Parliament for passage.

The move comes after the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) called for this to be done in the wake of recent allegations of corruption, particularly bordering on procurement and conflict of interest breaches.

Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal said relaying the Bill for passage will show government’s commitment to the fight against corruption, so it is not seen as merely paying lip service to the campaign.

Occupy Ghana agrees. 

In a statement copied to Joy News, the group said it has noted and “fully identifies with and wholeheartedly endorses the 2nd September 2019 call by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for the enactment into law of the long-standing Conduct of Public Officers Bill.”

The statement added that there is a crying need for thorough investigations and stiff penalties where public officers are found to be placing themselves at potential conflict of interest.

“This can be achieved by government immediately bringing back to Parliament debate on the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, which has been sitting dormant since 2015.”

Below is a copy of the full statement:

OCCUPYGHANA® CALLS FOR URGENT GOVERNMENT ACTION ON PUBLIC OFFICER CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
 OccupyGhana® has noted, fully identifies with and wholeheartedly endorses the 2nd September 2019 call by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for the enactment into law of the long-standing Conduct of Public Officers Bill. It would be recalled that we made the same call in our press statement dated 23rd August 2019 titled “OCCUPYGHANA® DEMANDS FIRM ACTION ON THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY AND COLLAPSE OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS MATTERS,” where we also stated that “there is no justifiable or acceptable reason for the failure to pass that into law.” Tellingly, we added that “public office holders ought to know that there would be painful legal consequences for engaging in conflict of interest and conflict of duty acts.”
 
It is almost ironic that within days, Ghana has had to deal with yet another ‘scandal’ involving allegations of conflict of interest concerning a Board Member at a major public institution. Without commenting on the facts of any particular case, these latest issues and the rapidity of them throw into stark relief the urgent and continuing need to enact legislation to enforce public officers to take seriously their duties as guardians of the public purse.
 
More fundamentally, there is a crying need for thorough investigations and stiff penalties where public officers are found to be placing themselves at potential conflict of interest. This can be achieved by government immediately bringing back to Parliament debate on the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, which has been sitting dormant since 2015.
 
OccupyGhana® has repeatedly discussed and brought up for discussion, the duties and roles of a Board and Board Members. That is because what is often apparently misunderstood is the utmost duty of good faith and bona fides that comes with serving in a fiduciary position, which is what Board Membership really means. A fiduciary relationship is essentially one of a trustee. It is a basic principle of a trust that a trustee cannot profit personally from the property to which they have been entrusted. A Board Member of a public institution must never place themselves in a position where they may be suspected of profiting (directly or indirectly, including through any company or property they own) from the institution’s funds. That is why Article 284 of the Constitution prohibits, not just actual or real conflicts of interest and duty but even the likelihood (possibility, potential, chance) of it.
 
That brings into question whether the normal requirements of full disclosure, non-participation in decisions and even full arm’s length transactions, which might pass muster under the common law, are sufficient to meet the constitutional standard in Ghana. If mere likelihood is prohibited, then it stands to reason that under no circumstances should any Board Member allow their company or property to be offered to the public institution for which they serve, whether for profit, personal benefit or otherwise. Thus, it would appear to us that a bid won by a public official’s company, concerning the institution for which they serve, is a tainted bid and brings into question the value for money of the bid concerned, and whether the bid was truly fair and competitive.
 
We are of the view that simply declaring an interest and not participating in the decisions are not enough to deal with suspicions over the use or abuse of insider information. Worse, declaring their interest could in fact heap substantial pressure on fellow Board Members and staff, especially significantly, on those in the entity who have to take procurement decisions. This can skew the playing field in one direction and would prevent other companies from entering the bidding process with any confidence that they can compete fairly and, on a level, playing field.
 
We believe that it is for this reason that the framers of the constitution prohibited both actual conflict and the “likelihood” of conflict. In our view, the proper course for a public officer facing a conflict of interest is to remove themselves and any company they own completely from pitches or offers of contracts with the institution concerned.
 
The proposed Conduct of Public Officer’s Bill makes clear that conflicts and likely conflicts of interest are forbidden. Further, not only must a public officer facing a conflict declare that conflict to the institution concerned, but they must also declare it to CHRAJ or other prescribed body, and comply with any directions thereafter.
 
OccupyGhana calls for any new Bill to go further and state in no uncertain terms that in any situation of a likely conflict of interest, the public officer must ensure that any bid for contracts or other interaction between their private company or property and the public institution be immediately withdrawn.
 
It is now imperative that firm measures are brought into law to restrict the excesses of certain public officials, and to provide a key deterrent against further abuse of public office. It will simply state what we accept or do not accept in Ghana. This must be combined with a campaign to educate Ghana’s public on this vexed and deeply misunderstood issue of conflicts of interest and duty.
 
Yours in the service of God and Country
 
OccupyGhana®

Source: Ghana|myjoyonline.com

Xenophobic Attacks: Ghana Urged to cut ties with South Africa

Government has been urged to break ties with South Africa after another round of xenophobic attacks on Africans has left five dead and several shops torched. 

Ghana’s left-wing political movement, Economic Fighters League called for the severing of diplomatic ties in a statement available to JoyNews. 

The statement signed by Fighter-General Hardi Yakubu said a break-off with the South African government will “force them to do the right thing.” 

Human rights groups and several African governments have expressed worry that the South African government is doing little to deal with xenophobic rage.

The Nigerian government has summoned the South Africa High Commissioner while Zambia has warned truck drivers who work in the country to stay away. 

Joining in the condemnation, the Economic Fighters League said the South African government ‘continues to deny the existence of the problem’. South Africa's police minister, Bheki Cele, said on Monday that "criminality rather than xenophobia" was to blame for the "senseless violence". 

President Cyril Ramaphosa also refused to call the attacks xenophobic describing it as 'anti-foreigner violence'. 

The EFL also criticised the Akufo-Addo government for its “shameful silence” on the happenings in South Africa. 

Bloomberg has reported looting in northern Johannesburg town of Alexandra and also unrest in Marabastad in Pretoria. 

Police presence has been beefed up in central Johannesburg since the attacks began Tuesday. 

African migrants are viewed by some South Africans as impediments in their quest for jobs and economic power.

Source: myjoyonline.com