Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has taken to his Facebook page on Saturday August 1, to dismiss suggestions that his persistent criticism of former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Dame, is driven by personal animosity, insisting that his concerns are rooted in what he considers Dame’s conduct while in public office.
According to Cudjoe, several mutual friends, including associates of the former Attorney-General, have appealed to him to ease his public criticism, arguing that the frequency of his comments could create the impression that he harbours personal hatred towards Dame. He noted that similar concerns have also been expressed by some of his followers, particularly supporters and members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Cudjoe, however, maintains that his position is not based on personal dislike but on what he describes as Dame’s approach to administering justice. He argues that he strongly disapproves of what he characterises as “terror tactics” allegedly employed by Dame in the prosecution of political figures, including Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Dr. Stephen Opuni and James Gyakye Quayson. In his view, these prosecutions reflected a pattern that raised concerns about fairness and the use of prosecutorial authority against political opponents.
Cudjoe also recalled Dame’s handling of the Supreme Court case involving the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi (SALL) traditional areas, stating that he witnessed what he considered disrespect towards lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata and the people of SALL during the proceedings. He further criticised the former Attorney-General over the SALL parliamentary representation issue, arguing that while the government under which Dame served allowed residents of SALL to go without parliamentary representation for four years, it later sought an expedited Supreme Court hearing involving some NPP Members of Parliament who had vacated their seats, contending that their constituents should not be left without representation even for a week.
To Cudjoe, the contrast demonstrated what he sees as inconsistency in the application of justice and constitutional principles. He concluded that, in his opinion, Dame’s record as Attorney-General earned him the reputation of being “a minister of misrule and injustice.” Despite his strong criticism, Cudjoe stressed that his views should not be mistaken for personal hatred.
“I don’t hate him,” he said, adding that he simply does not consider the former Attorney-General to be “decent and trustworthy” based on his experiences and observations. He also expressed hope that Dame would one day change that perception.
By: Joyce Owusu
