Women’s Group urges President Mahama to halt Chief Justice’s removal process
A Concerned Women’s Advocacy Group in the Central Region has urged President John Dramani Mahama and the Council of State to immediately halt all actions aimed at removing Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
While emphasising their respect for the democratic processes outlined in the 1992 Constitution, the group clarified that they did not oppose to any citizen’s right to pursue lawful procedures.
However, they stressed that such actions must align with constitutional principles and broader national interests, stressing that “such efforts might be motivated by narrow, self-serving interests rather than the public good.”
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Miss Vivian Gassor, Spokesperson for the Group said: “We are calling on all Ghanaians to join in our call to halt this process which is definitely not in the interest of Mother Ghana and shall render us polarized and divided however it ends.”
They rallied all women and women groups to stand up to be counted in the face of what the Group described as a “creeping cloud of darkness ostensibly intended to engulf the progress made thus far.”
“We hereby also, in all humility and in a special way, call on the Council of State, as the nation’s special and unique class of persons who have seen and lived it all, with very rich individual life experiences, and also with good sense of the history of our dear country to see through the lines, and without any hesitation, unequivocally step in to prevent this removal process as not one that will heal and unite mother Ghana.”
Miss Gassor highlighted the nation’s ongoing challenges in advancing women’s empowerment, particularly in leadership roles within the public sphere.
She celebrated the historic milestone of electing a woman to the second-highest office in the country, describing it as a significant step forward in the struggle for gender equality and inclusion in governance.
She noted that while progress had been made, there was still room for improvement, and they remained optimistic about achieving greater representation of women in decision-making positions.
She emphasised that inclusive societies developed more rapidly by harnessing the talents of all citizens and warned that such actions could undermine national unity and derail progress made under the current administration.
Stressing the importance of collaboration across political and social divides, she urged all stakeholders to prioritize national development and avoid actions that could reverse hard-won gains.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Torkonoo has submitted her response to petitions filed by three individuals on February 14 and March 17, 2025, asking for her removal from office in accordance with 10 days given for her to submit her response expired on Monday, April 7, 2025.
The presidency announced that it had received and forwarded to the Council of State for consultation three petitions, which were all asking for the removal of Justice Torkornoo from office.
The presidency, in a press statement, explained that the move by President Mahama was in line with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
Article 146 governs the processes for the removal of Justices of the Superior Courts, the Chief Justice, and persons whose offices are analogous with Justices of the Superior Courts such as the Chairperson and Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission (EC) and Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Source: GNA