Aide to the President, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has highlighted the irony in former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s call for impartial justice and due process following the recent arrests involving the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Reacting to Dr. Bawumia’s appeal for fair justice and adherence to the rule of law in safeguarding Wontumi’s constitutional rights, Bawah Mogtari described the call as ironic, especially when juxtaposed against what she described as the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration’s lack of transparency in handling cases involving political opponents.
While Dr. Bawumia urged EOCO and other state institutions to operate in a manner that protects public trust in the judicial system and the country’s democratic values, Bawah Mogtari supported the call for impartial justice but emphasized the need for consistency in applying the rule of law, regardless of political affiliation.
“While I join the call for transparency in this matter and for Mr. Wontumi’s rights to be respected, I urge consistency in the application of these standards. Justice must not only be demanded when it affects our own—it must be upheld for all Ghanaians, regardless of party colours or affiliations,” she said.
She questioned Dr. Bawumia’s sudden concern for due process and the abuse of institutional power, pointing to what she described as the previous administration’s pattern of using state institutions without fairness or transparency, particularly when dealing with political dissenters or ordinary citizens lacking political influence.
“However, I find it somewhat ironic that concerns about due process and arbitrary power are being raised now, especially when many Ghanaians, over the last few years, have felt the heavy hand of state institutions acting without transparency or fairness—often in cases involving political opponents, civil society actors, or ordinary citizens with no political clout,” she added.
Bawah Mogtari concluded with a call for renewed commitment to the principles of the rule of law, urging all political actors to reject selective justice, which she warned undermines the very foundation of Ghana’s democrac