The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, has been adjudged the best Minister of State for the year 2021.
This is largely due to his intervention in the admission of 499 law students’ into the Ghana School of Law at Makola.
The FAKS Investigative Services who presented the plaque to the A-G in his office on Tuesday, said the Minister scored very high marks in a survey conducted by the investigative organisation.
In 2021, the 499 law students’ were denied admission into the Ghana School of Law for failing to obtain the 50 pass mark, set by the General Legal Council (GLC) in all subjects but were admitted upon the intervention of Mr Dame.
Mr Yaw Sarpong, leader of FAKS Investigative Services, told journalists after presenting the plague that, the A-G ensured amicable resolution of the impasse between the GLC and the aggrieved students.
He said other issues that came to bear from the respondents during the survey apart from the admission of 499 law students, included Ghana winning the Norway Chancery case, as well as the transformation of the Registrar General’s Department.
For his part, the Attorney-General said he conducts his constitutional mandate without expectation or recognition.
Mr Dame said FAKS should pay tribute to the hard working and dedicated staff of the Office of the Attorney-General.
“Ever since I walked into the office, they have given me their all, they have thrown their full weight behind me and I think that whatever accomplishment, clearly have been a fruit of their dedication and so I am very grateful to them.”
When asked how he felt for winning the admiration of Ghanaians, he said “Well first of all surprised. This is the work that we do. And we do it without the expectation really reward or recognition and I think that they must first pay tribute to the dedication of the staff of the Office of the Attorney General; any achievement or accomplishment on my part acquired definitely could not have been possible without their unflinching support.”
He said the main challenge he encountered during negotiations with the GLC on the way forward, was the competing interests of the GLC, which was the body responsible for the decision that had been taken not to admit the students, and the legitimate demands of the 499 students.
Mr Dame noted that during the negotiations, he employed the same zealousness with which he practiced in private life to his public duty to find a lasting solution to what was clearly an unfair treatment meted out against the 499 students.
The award given to him, the AG noted, is a reminder to him that the office of the Attorney General “stands in the gap when it comes to the attainment of accountability, promotion of good governance and the creation of a sound atmosphere for the conduct of business in the country.”
“I am mindful of the very important role that this ministry plans and I am always prepared as I said, to use the best of my abilities to promote the attainment of the object of good governance that the President has set for himself,” the Attorney General said.
The annual FAKS Investigative Services survey, apart from focusing on Ministers and their deputies, also includes the performance of Members of Parliament and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in the country.
Mainly, the survey focuses on opinions from the public, assessment from the ministries, agencies, as well as information from the Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs).
The public, who are the main respondents, contribute largely to the outcome of the survey, especially concerning the Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Regional Ministers and the CEOs of state institutions.
The FAKS team is made up of researchers, media practitioners and academia, who do the assessment based on the outcome of the findings they receive.
The 2021 survey took place between the months of October and December, 2021 and it was the 10th edition since FAKS started the project.
Respondents for the survey were, journalists, students, traders, traditional rulers, teachers, business owners, civil society organisations (CSOs), drivers and academia.
About 69 per cent of the respondents were between the ages of 18 and 55 while the remaining 31 per cent were between the ages of 56 and 77.
Ashanti Region recorded the highest respondents, followed by Greater Accra Region, Western Region, Eastern, Central, Volta, Bono, Oti, Western North, Bono East, Upper East, Upper West, Savanna, Ahafo, North East and Northern regions respectively.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA