Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s refusal to assent to the anti-witchcraft bill will hinder the country’s democracy.
President Akufo-Addo cited potential financial implications on the country’s consolidated fund as the reason behind his decision not to sign the bill.
However, Kpebu is not accepting such an excuse, deeming it inappropriate for the President to raise such concerns months after the bill’s initial passage.
During an interview on Eyewitness News, Kpebu questioned the timing of the President’s objections, stating that Akufo-Addo had already endorsed one death penalty law while hesitating on others, including the Armed Forces Law and the anti-witchcraft law passed in July.
“I will say that it is not right for the president to come too late in the day to say that he is not able to assent because it imposes charges on the consolidated fund. So the question is, at the time he was signing the first death penalty, you knew the death penalty laws were two. There is the one that has to do with Act 29, which he has already signed, and there is the Armed Forces Law and the witchcraft law that he has not signed. That law was passed in July, so it baffles me that the president is coming now, after several months, to say no, he doesn’t think that’s the right thing to do.”
Mr. Kpebu reiterated that he sees no financial charge accompanied by the passage of the bill, as claimed by the President.
He emphasized that the President’s denial to sign the anti-witchcraft law after implementing the death penalty will harm the country.
“We did a presentation with Amnesty International. I made the presentation to the President to amend Act 29, and the president nodded in admiration. The then Attorney-General, Gloria Akuffo, and Ambrose Dery were there. They didn’t do it, and Sosu did, and the president was happy that at least the Private Members Bill had resulted, so he signed the first one joyously. So I think that this thing he is doing is sending our democracy back.”
He urged the government to reconsider his decision as it could affect the country’s social equality.
