General News of Thursday, 25 June 2020
Source: ghanaguardian.com
Suspended General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed, has slammed President of IMANI Africa, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe, after he described as disappointing, the dismissal of its amicus curiae brief, by the Supreme Court.
IMANI Africa, Conservative Policy Research Center, Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability and Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation were seeking to be considered as friends of the court in the case involving the Electoral Commission’s planned voter' registration exercise.
But the Apex Court on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, threw out the application, saying the processes as filed were not supported by law.
Speaking to the media after the ruling, Franklin Cudjoe said, they are disappointed but will accept the decision of the judges.
"Well, on the onset of this application, we did say that we were at the benevolence more or less of the law and so what they decide to do we will live with it. It is just that we are disappointed that the court didn’t even consider the brief itself.
"We think they would have benefitted greatly from it, but look, the laws have spoken and we can’t quarrel with that. But I hope that the decision they eventually arrive at will be a decision everyone can live within this country. I’m just disappointed and I think my colleagues are equally disappointed", he said.
Responding to his comments, however, Atik Mohammed described as 'inconceivable', the decision by the IMANI boss to go to the Supreme Court and claimed he wants to help the judges dispense justice when he himself had not verified what facts have been presented by all parties involved.
"It is simply inconceivable how you go to the highest court, claiming you want to help their Lordships dispense justice without even knowing what respectively have been presented by all parties", his Facebook post read.
Atik could not fathom why Franklin will still be making noise after the court ruled his policy think thank and the other civil society organisations that had attempted to join the two cases against the compilation of the EC's voters’ register are not neutral.
"And after being called out by the Justices as a non-neutral hypocrite, you come out shouting you are disappointed", he said.
"How else were you to be characterized or treated? Hailed like an Arabian King because you have high sounding titles like President and CEO of IMANI? The law court I have grown to learn, is a lot more serious forum", he fired.