The Member of Parliament for Madina Francis-Xavier Sosu has described as retrogressive an opinion expressed by deputy attorney general nominee Mr. Tuah-Yeboah that the death penalty should be kept in Ghana’s statutory books.
The MP said although the answer provided by the nominee will not serve the basis to reject him, he believes it was retrogressive.
Appearing before the Vetting Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, the nominee in his personal opinion indicated that the death sentence should not be abolished.
He said he held the view that life is precious but should not warrant people to take the lives of others.
He noted that Ghana should not abolish the death sentence considering the way people kill others without any reason.
As a realist and positivist, the nominee said the death sentence will serve as a deterrent to others to know that it doesn’t pay to kill.
For him, we should keep the death sentence in our statutory books irrespective of campaigns by groups such as Amnesty International.
But the MP lawyer and member of the committee said the opinion expressed by the nominee was unfortunate.
“Though I respect his right to his opinion and would not use that as a basis for rejection of his nomination, I consider his view on death penalty as very retrogressive and inconsistent with the direction of the state. Since 1992, no President has signed a death warrant to execute any of our brothers and sister on death roll.”
“Contrary to the Deputy AG’s assertions that abolishing death penalty will lead to increased murders, countries that have abolished death penalty have rather recorded low crime rates including low murder cases.
It is time to take death penalty from our statute books even if it will take the introduction of Private Member’s Bill (PMB).
I hope my Private Member’s Bill on this subject gets the necessary support to settle this matter.”
Read his full statement below
Deputy Ministers’ Vetting over successfully.
Great exercise for God and Country. Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Alfred Tuah-Yeboah’s views on death penalty was an anti-climax for me.
Though I respect his right to his opinion and would not use that as a basis for rejection of his nomination, I consider his view on death penalty as very retrogressive and inconsistent with the direction of the state. Since 1992, no President has signed a death warrant to execute any of our brothers and sister on death roll.
On page 58 of the 2020 Amnesty International Global Report on Death Sentences and Executions, Ghana together with some 27 countries were described as Abolitionists in Practice. This is so because there had not been any execution during the last 10years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions.
As at the close of 2020, 160 persons comprising of 155 men and 5 women are serving death sentences. With each passing day, they are traumatized and are emotionally and mentally tortured with the sense of waiting to be killed.
The 2010 Constitutional Review Commission’s recommendations that was accepted by the Government of Ghana over 9years ago shows clearly that Ghana’s position on death penalty is to abolish it.
Contrary to the Deputy AG’s assertions that abolishing death penalty will lead to increased murders, countries that have abolished death penalty have rather recorded low crime rates including low murder cases.
It is time to take death penalty from our statute books even if it will take the introduction of Private Member’s Bill (PMB).
I hope my Private Member’s Bill on this subject gets the necessary support to settle this matter.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com
