Ghana Pentecostal Council denounces attacks on Judiciary
The Ghana Pentecostal Council (GPC) on Wednesday expressed concern about the verbal attacks on the Judiciary following recent losses of high profile cases brought by the Attorney General against former officials in the erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by Apostle John Annan Addotey, President of the GPC and Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi, General Secretary of the Council, said whilst the GPC believed every public official must account for his or her stewardship, the government should not pursue what might look like an agenda to jail their political opponents at all cost to please its followers.
The GPC said it particularly took exception to what was perceived as an ultimatum issued to the Chief Justice to purge the Judiciary, else the Executive arm of government would take it upon itself to do that.
“We are of the view that the call stands contrary to the tenets of the Fourth Republic Constitution and undermines the basic principles of good governance for which Ghana has become a beacon of good democracy on the continent of Africa.”
The GPC also said such statements had the potential 93to embolden rogue elements” in society to take the law into their own hands, the result of which would tarnish the image of the government and the people of Ghana.
The statement commended President John Evans Atta Mills for assuring the Judiciary of his commitment to respect its independence and further urged him to reassure the general populace of such commitment through his actions.
The statement also called on judges to perform their functions in such a way as to instil the confidence of the Ghanaian 93in this noble institution and administer justice to all without fear or favour, knowing that they are firstly accountable to God from whom justice emanates, secondly to the people of Ghana and finally to their own conscience”.
The GPC urged Ghanaians to be patient with the judicial process “which grinds slowly but surely”.
“We should avoid politicising every issue in the country since such acts further polarise the nation, a situation which the Council had earlier had cause to draw attention to,” the statement added.
Source: GNA
THE REPRESENTATIVE
GHANA AIDS COMMISSION
LAB TECHNICIAN FAKES HIV RESULTS
I humbly write to draw your attention to a breathe-shocking ill practice that is on-going in a Hospital, Accra.
I am a newly employed member of staff of a company into the operations department. I went to a prescribed hospital by the company on Wednesday, 7th December, 2011 to undertake a medical examination as mandated by the company. To my utter dismay, the lab technician, Prosper Felli indulged me in some kind of unlawful monetary extortion. He seemingly informed me in close doors that the results indicated I was HIV positive and was also suffering from candidiatis and that he could however change the results for me but at a fee of four hundred Ghana Cedis (Gh 400.00) not negotiable. The supposed actual results, he said would jeopardize my chances of securing the job so he was merely doing me a favour. I was greatly traumatized upon hearing such a life threatening news but his pressing demand for the money, made me suspicious of a foul play so I decided to play along for sometime even though I was not so sure of what to believe. I asked myself what candidiatis had to do with one securing a job; after all the only samples he took were blood and urine but none of these samples could be used to diagnose the said disease. It can only be detected by an HVS test i.e. High Vaginal Swab but this was not part of the requite test on my medical form and he had not perform any such test on me either.
I however took a daring and bold decision to undertake another HIV test at the Adenta clinic on Thursday, 8th December, 2011 and the results was received on 9th December, 2011 revealing a negative result. I am also ready to subject myself to any medical examination to ascertain the results. For three precious days, I lived in fear and panic of being diagnosed an HIV patient and even contemplated suicide. I have voice recordings of the conversations he had with me and a text message of the medicine (Tab amoksiklav 625mg bd 7) he prescribed for me to treat the candidiatis he had detected without diagnoses. This medicine does not cure the said disease but treats infections. This I find a very deadly act. There is absolutely no doubt that he has played this game with several of your employees as well as the public and has also made them to believe that they are suffering from one deadly disease or the other but then he is doing them a favour by covering up; of course at a fee. He has therefore endangered the lives of many and there are several others that he is yet to threaten. Only God knows the number of people he ends up deceiving on daily basis.
The lab technician, Prosper Felli, was put under under prison custody with the Korle-Bu Police Station. He was arrested on the spot when he received the sum of money he requested from me. He appeared before court on 13th December, 2011. He was put on remand to re-appear on 27th December, 2011. However the process was disrupted, he has been set free and roaming about a free man whiles I the victim is being treated like a criminal for exposing him.
It is in this vein, that I write to draw your attention as a member of the Ghana Aids Commission to ensure that this case is given the fair trail it needs and act on it with a sense of urgency to put it to an immediate stop since the lives of many of your who are yet to visit the medical centre are at risk. I trust you will not rest on this issue until justice prevails.
Counting on your co-operation in this regard.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Emelia Owired
Cc: All members Ghana Aids Commission