This, he said, will reinforce the confidence of the people, and shore up our nation’s reputation as a country governed by the rule of law.
Mr Akufo-Add said these on Monday, 17th October 2022, when he commissioned a residential complex for Court of Appeal Judges in the Ashanti Region, as well one hundred and twenty (120) courts and one hundred and fifty (150) bungalows each across the country.
He said “we will continue to implement policies to advance the rule of law, and, thereby, reinforce the confidence of the people, and shore up our nation’s reputation as a country governed by the rule of law.”
Mr Akufo-Addo further indicated that in the course of his first term in office, Government took note of the inadequate numbers of courts in various parts of the country, resulting in citizens travelling long distances to gain access to courts.
“For example, there was no Court between Adjabeng and Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, neither was there a Court between Adum in Kumasi and Asante Bekwai or Obuasi in the Ashanti Region. I was also informed that some judges lived in insecure housing, and were subject to abuse and threats after their judgements,” he said.
The President continued, “That is why, in my Message on the State of the Nation, on 9th March 2021, Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and the District Assembly Common Fund, has commenced, in an unprecedented initiative, the construction of ninety (90) courts with accompanying accommodation for judges across the country, to help address the problem of inadequate court infrastructure.”
The President expressed his appreciation to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for providing the land for the construction of the residential facility.
“The efforts of Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, his predecessor, Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, the former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, and Hon. Irene Naa Torshie Addo, Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, must be warmly commended,” he added.