“Bootlicker” Judge Sorry For Endorsing Akufo Addo -Fails Vetting

Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga , the Appeals Court Judge who openly campaigned for President Akufo Addo’s second-term bid, has virtually gone on his knees begging profusely for his partisan composure as he is being vetting for promotion to the Supreme Court.

During a traditional durbar in the Volta Region last year, Justice Honyenuga who is also a chief in the region, could not hide his preference as he showered glowing praises on the President and to the shock of Ghanaians endorsed President Akufo Addo for his second term bid.

However, when he was grilled by the Parliamentary Vetting Committee after President Akufo Addo had nominated him to occupy a Supreme Court bench, he expressed regret for his indiscretion, claiming he was merely well-wishing President Akufo Addo, the yet-to-be-confirmed Presidential candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP),

“In reading that statement, we didn’t intend in endorsing the president, our understanding was that we were wishing him well…this is what has been happening in this country for a very long time…on my part if out of political dissatisfaction some people are unhappy with whatever I am supposed to have said then I am sorry,” Justice Honyenuga said.

When cornered by the Asawase Member of Parliament, Muntaka Mohammed about the speech, his responses were evasive.

Muntaka asked the Supreme Court nominee: “Who wrote the speech you read at the Durbar grounds?” He answered: “You are going too far”. When pressed further, he claimed he did not know who wrote the speech and that he only parroted its content.

“…read through it thoroughly but I did not pay attention to the content,” the embattled Supreme Court nominee claimed.

In that ill-fated speech during the durbar at the Afadjato South District last year, Justice Honyenuga said: He said “with the vision of the President and the gains made in his first term, Ghanaians may consider giving him another four years” to the loud cheers of people at the durbar grounds.

Since his open endorsement, he has been widely criticised as a “bootlicking” Judge who exhibited political bias characteristic of some of his colleagues, as Ghana’s judiciary has taken a hit for corruption and political bias.

Meanwhile, latest reports picked up by Whatsup News indicates that he may have failed to secure unanimous approval of the Appointment Committee of Parliament.

He only managed to secure a 10-7 vote, which meant the appointment committee was evenly split between offering him the job and rejecting him.

This is the first time such a thing has happened to a Supreme Court nominee, and it means that his fate hangs in the balance as his appointment would be forced into the parliamentary chamber for debate between the entire legislature.