Ghana needs to act quickly to avert coup
Some government officials call for Prof. Atuguba’s arrest
Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has jumped to the defense of Prof. Raymond Atuguba over “coup comments”.
The University of Ghana law lecturer in a Constitutional Review Lecture on February 28, 2022, said looking at the current economic hardships and state of affairs of the economy, the government needs to act swiftly to avert any attempts of coup d’etat.
“We do not want a coup in this country. Yet I fear that if we do not act quickly, we may have one in our hands very soon…. I urge my good friend the Minister for National Security, Hon. Kan Dapaah, to have a conversation with my friend at the War College…. A big part of why certain coups succeed and others fail is the Economy. What is the state of our economy today?”
He continued saying, “Marching on the Office of the President, a National Security Zone, is not a crime. Saying that you will do the coup, using the definite article, a reference to the coup that the market women in Kumasi already say they will do, is a heinous crime.”
He advised that what government needs to do currently is to prevent a coup from happening in the country “since the climate and the environment, national and immediate international, are conducive for one….”
Martin Amidu in his latest article to GhanaWeb, said the law lecturer’s comments do not contain any element of criminality or incitement of a coup.
“In accordance with my usual work habit, I have critically read several times over the 21 pages published public lecture Prof. Atuguba delivered in which he analyzed the political and economic circumstances of Ghana and what must be done to avoid a coup in Ghana."
He states however that, his comments do not warrant an arrest.
"I do not agree with some of the facts, analysis and conclusions Prof. Atuguba arrived at in his public lecture. But from my considered critique and analysis of his lecture, I cannot find any ingredient of criminal incitement on the part of Prof. Atuguba of anybody to commit high treason, treason or treason felony or any criminal intention and act on his part to overthrow the elected Government of Ghana by force of arms or any unlawful means to warrant his arrest and detention.”
Meanwhile, some government officials had earlier called for the arrest of Prof. Atuguba just like in the case of “Fix the Country” convener, Oliver Barker Vormawor.
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Former special prosecutor, Martin Amidu