Minority too eager to stay relevant

The National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has taken a swipe at the Minority in Parliament, accusing them of rushing to make themselves relevant over the ongoing petition against the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Gertrude Torkornoo.

His comments come in the wake of the Minority’s appeal to religious and traditional leaders to intervene and urge President John Dramani Mahama to halt the constitutional process concerning the Chief Justice.

The caucus maintained that the petition seeking her removal is baseless and does not meet the constitutional requirements.

Notwithstanding, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye dismissed the Minority’s calls, describing their reaction as predictable and driven by a desperate attempt to remain significant in the public space.

“I think that they are too much in haste to be relevant, because of their micro nature. They are too much in haste to make themselves heard.”

He specified that the constitutional process must be allowed to run its full course without interference. According to him, the nation’s laws provide clear guidelines for handling such matters, and political posturing must not disrupt due process.

“I will tell them to allow the constitutional process to engage itself fully, and when it has run its full toll, then we shall all know whether Chief Justice Torkornor has a case or not.”

While expressing some personal reservations, Vanderpuye stated that although he respects the Chief Justice, reports from within the judiciary suggest her image may not be as flawless as often portrayed.

“I have a lot of respect for the Chief Justice. Sometimes you see her and she portrays an angelic face, other times something else. The things some of us hear and some of the people like me have picked up from some of the people who are close to the judicial system will tell you that all that glitters is not gold.

“She is not as saintly as some of us have perceived her to be. I will not sit here and prejudge her, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt and sit here and believe that the things that I have heard about her and how she behaves were not true.”

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, April 17, Vanderpuye further indicated that the Minority’s moves were expected and had already been factored into the government’s anticipation of the political terrain.

“What I want them to understand is that as soon as they start thinking, we have already thought about the steps they will take. Because they are very predictable and so they allow you to determine what action they will take in every instant.”