Rejoinder: Ghana Will Not Bow to Colonial-Era Commands

The recent demand from the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association that President Mahama immediately reinstate Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo is nothing short of arrogant and dictatorial. The tone reeks of colonial-era command, as though Ghana is still some British outpost waiting for instructions from London. Let it be known to all: Ghana is a sovereign nation. We have our Constitution. We have our laws. We have our own systems for resolving issues within our judiciary. No foreign body has the right to interfere in matters that are squarely within our domestic jurisdiction.

The suspension of the Chief Justice on April 22, 2025, was not some arbitrary political witch-hunt. It followed three separate petitions, a prima facie case established by the Council of State, and the due process outlined under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution. A five-member committee was set up to investigate, in strict accordance with the law. This is how a mature democracy operates, by following the rule of law, not by bending to the whims of external pressure groups who believe they can dictate the outcome before the legal process is complete. Are they suggesting that all legal processes be halted midway just to reinstate the Chief Justice? What do they take the laws of this country for? If this is their understanding of democracy, then Ghana stands for something different, even something better.

If the British think their financial assistance or developmental support gives them the right to issue commands to Ghana, then they are sorely mistaken. If their so-called “aid” comes with strings attached that undermine our independence, they can keep it. Ghana’s dignity is worth far more than any cheque signed in London. We will not trade our sovereignty for donor money.

The real question is why no African country dares to lecture Britain on how to run its judiciary, yet Britain and its allies see no problem dictating to African nations on how to run theirs. This one-sided, patronising relationship must end. We are not under their rule, and we will not be treated like children in need of supervision. We are a free people, and our judiciary is answerable only to the people of Ghana under the laws of Ghana, not to any foreign council in a distant land.

It is time the developed world understood that Africa is not their playground, and Ghana is not their colony. Our decisions are our own, our justice system is our own, and our sovereignty is not up for negotiation. We won our freedom in 1957, and we will defend it in 2025 with our voice, our law, and our pride. But let’s be honest: part of the blame lies with our own leaders, who travel to these same foreign powers with begging bowls in hand. Africa, and Ghana in particular, has all it takes to develop if our leaders embrace honesty, reject corruption, and put the interests of their people first.

Ghanaians are watching!

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