Lawyer Kofi Bentil has clarified misconceptions about his political stance, emphasising that he has never claimed to be neutral.
This follows his support and endorsement for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s bid for the presidency.
Speaking on Newsfile, he stated that he has rather been independent which allows him to sustain his commitment to evaluating issues or situations objectively.
Quoting the famous South African human rights activist Desmond Tutu, Kofi Bentil said that if people remain neutral in a situation of injustice, they have essentially taken the side of the oppressor.
“It is for me to tell you I am not neutral, I have never been. But being independent and having the courage of your convictions means you make up your mind and you find the wherewithal to communicate it.”
“People don’t have to accept what you are saying but they will have to come to grips with the fact that you are making some very important points,” he told the host, Samson Lardy Anyenini.
Mr Bentil also discouraged linking his views on Vice President Dr Bawumia to his role at the policy think tank IMANI Africa, where he is a senior vice president.
He reiterated that having political opinions does not represent the civil society organisation and does not hinder their ability to address national issues objectively.
His comments come after facing backlash for showing support for Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s bid for the presidency.
In a post on Facebook, Mr Bentil emphasised that Dr. Bawumia, having never been president before, deserves an opportunity, akin to the chance given to John Mahama in 2012.
He stated that if given a fair and objective hearing, the Vice President would perform better than former President Mahama.
“The VP position in Ghana, apart from standing in when the president is away (and he can’t make any serious decisions), is totally powerless! He is like an advisor! There’s a good reason Kwame Nkrumah refused to have a Vice President! Indeed the Minister of Finance has more constitutional power than the VP in managing our finances and the EMT has zero power to effect its decisions. They advise the President who acts through his ministers,” Mr Bentil.
However, Mr Bentil held on to his position insisting that the sins of this government and President Akufo-Addo should not be passed on to Dr Bawumia.
“If this was a vote for their second term, I would have voted them out but by the design in our constitution, this government and all its people are going away and the biggest baggage Vice President Bawumia has is this government. He is having to pay for the sins of this government and he is part of it.”
“But the next government is not President Akufo-Addo’s government and one of the things that I want to see and I have found a way to tell Vice President Bawumia is that ‘I don’t want to see key members of this government in his team’. If he does that I will criticise him.”
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