The Majority, on the other hand, treated the nominee, Justice Bonney, to a verbal spa day. They massaged his ego so tenderly that the man relaxed into the hearing like it was Sunday brunch. So comfortable was he that he blurted out, almost proudly, hat he’d once sentenced the infamous armed robber Ataa Ayi to 70 years in prison because, quote, “By the time he returns, I’ll be long gone.”
Dear Osagyefo,
Today has been pregnant with drama. Remember how I whispered that President Mahama promised to “reform” a whole arm of government? Well, he delivered. Chief Justice Torkonor was ceremoniously removed not unlike how you eased out Arko Korsah in your heyday. Now, the nominee for her replacement , the gentleman who’d been warming the bench in her absence, appeared before Parliament for vetting, and what a spectacle that was.
Afenyo Markin, our Super Minority Leader, began with Shakespearean flourish quoting from The Merchant of Venice, Act 1 Scene 7 . He waxed poetic about moral duty and loyalty, though I’m still unsure whether he meant to protect the Supreme Court or Torkono’s seat. Mr Markin fought tooth and nail to halt the proceedings, but Hon. Ayariga , head of government business and resident parliamentary bulldozer gave them no breathing space, not even for opening remarks. Frustrated, they stormed out, visibly fuming, leaving the some of us to wonder if “partial attendance” is rewarded with a “sitting allowance”.
The Majority, on the other hand, treated the nominee, Justice Bonney, to a verbal spa day. They massaged his ego so tenderly that the man relaxed into the hearing like it was Sunday brunch. So comfortable was he that he blurted out, almost proudly, hat he’d once sentenced the infamous armed robber Ataa Ayi to 70 years in prison because, quote, “By the time he returns, I’ll be long gone.”
Now, Osagyefo, that’s the sort of remark that makes you wonder if our robes of justice are lined with irony. For a man seeking to be Chief Justice, one might expect a touch of restraint. But no. It was as if he’d forgotten the mic was on and the entire world watched and or listened. Ataa Ayi was far from an innocent man, and a compelling case can be made that, based on his deeds, no clemency was warranted.
Mind you, Torkonor’s sins were hardly mortal, yet here comes Bonney, casually confessing judicial overreach like it’s an anecdote over drinks. One would think he’d take that one to the grave. Our prisons are meant to rehabilitate, not merely punish. The law prescribes life imprisonment for the irredeemable not 70-year acts of judicial prophecy. The fact that no one pushed him to clarify the remark says it all: the vetting was more rubber-stamp than review.
And where was our literary crusader, Afenyo Markin, in that moment? Ah, Osagyefo, probably at the nearest chop bar, jacket removed, tie released, long sleeves folded neatly to the elbow, whistling cheerfully as he conquered a steaming bowl of fufu, utterly unbothered by the unfolding constitutional comedy.
So, the curtain falls. The Chief Justice–in-waiting glides on, the opposition storms off, and justice suffers !
So long,
Ato_KD
