When a cabinet Minister defies the legal advice of Akufo-Addo’s Attorney General (I)

Ghana’s Attorney General, according to the 1992 Constitution,  is the principal legal adviser of the Government and the President for that matter.

When the Attorney-General gives a legal advice on an issue, it is therefore deemed as the legal position and stance of Government on that issue.

Therefore, a Cabinet Minister, who in his official capacity and office, takes a deliberate decision to rebel against and display a glaring disregard for the legal advice of the Attorney General would be directly rebelling against his appointing authority and the very Government he serves.

Such a Minister, in direct and plain terms, is not a team player, is not exhibiting loyalty and may have to rethink if truly, he wants to continue to remain in a Government he is rebelling against.

In the matter of a High Court Order that the University of Education, (UEW) Winneba should reinstate Professor Mawutor Avoke, the wrongly dismissed Vice Chancellor and five others who were later found to be innocent of the charges for which they were erroneously dismissed, the legal advice of the Attorney-General to the University is to comply with the Court Order in its entirety.

The New Publisher is shocked that this simple directive and advice from the Attorney-General is not been fully complied with and there are WhatsApp  messages plus audio recordings to prove beyond reasonable doubt that a cabinet Minister (name withheld till next edition)  in the current government is scheming with some persons to defy the advice given by the AG in respect of the reinstatement of the Financial Officer, a part of the five staff where are to be reinstated.

A Court Order has been given. Attorney-General has advised the University to comply. Prof. Avoke plus four out of the five wrongfully dismissed persons have been reinstated in full. There is some needless resistance in getting the Financial Officer reinstated properly, as the current one and his god-fathers display some interesting gymnastics. The Attorney-General, when consulted, officially gives directives on how the situation should be handled so as to maintain the newly established peace of the University and also to ensure there is justice. This legal advice should cure the problem.

Just when the Attorney-General’s directives and proposed cure is about to be executed, then this Cabinet Minister, even from his current location outside the country, starts to send WhatsApp messages and make phone calls that the legal directive should be delayed.

The Cabinet Minister offers other opinions, which in his personal views are of a superior advice, to the legal position of the Attorney-General and Government’s legal adviser for that matter. He does this on the blind side of the Attorney-General.

The delay in executing the advice of the AG results in a tensed situation that could erupt into another fireball of chaos and avoidable tragic drama within the education sector under an Akufo-Addo Presidency as though the ongoing bad press it is suffering from the UTAG sit down strikes and the continuous nature of it is not enough bother that is offering political currency to opposition parties.

This Minister should be called to order to fall in line and stop these rebellious acts that continue to affect the peace of UEW and cause bad press for Government.

It is needles. What are his personal interests in defying the AG’s directive submitted to his office and received by his own personal Secretary who officially signed to acknowledge receipt as far as last week.

The New Publisher would put out further details in our subsequent editions.