Accra: The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has rejected claims by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, that the association is aligned with the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Speaking on Joy FM's Top Story, Public Relations Officer of GBA, Saviour Kudze, described the accusation as 'disappointing' and called on political actors to stop politicising the association whenever it comments on national issues. Kudze emphasized that it is disheartening for such matters to continually surface.
According to Ghana Web, the denial arises amid ongoing public debate over the GBA's perceived silence on remarks by Minority Leader and Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin, which are widely seen as critical of certain judiciary members. Kwakye Ofosu has accused the GBA of bias over its silence on Afenyo-Markin's attack on a judge, arguing that Ghana faces more pressing challenges that demand attention than repeated political attacks on professional bodies.
The controversy was fueled by criticism from some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who questioned why the GBA had not publicly condemned Afenyo-Markin's comments. In a Facebook post, Felix Kwakye Ofosu asserted that the association's silence reinforced long-held perceptions that it sympathizes with the NPP, an allegation the GBA has consistently denied.
Kudze stated that reducing the GBA to partisan politics undermines the integrity of the legal profession and distracts from national development and the rule of law. He urged political leaders to focus on offering solutions rather than engaging in politicisation. Kudze questioned the persistence of the issue and challenged those in leadership to address the problems they identify within institutions.
Moreover, Kudze slammed Afenyo-Markin over his comments on a judge, reiterating that the Ghana Bar Association is a unified professional body representing lawyers across the political divide. He firmly dismissed claims of partisan bias, stressing that GBA is not a wing of any political party. Kudze highlighted that while judges can be criticised, such criticism should be made through appropriate legal channels.