The Tertiary Education Institutions Network of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (TEIN UPSA) Chapter has congratulated the Member of Parliament(MP) for Madina Constituency, Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu for the steps to abolish death penalty laws in the country.
The TEIN message followed the introduction of a Private Member’s Bill by the Madina lawmaker, seeking parliament authority to amend the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) and Armed Forces Act 1962 Act (105) to substitute the death penalty for life imprisonment and provide for related matters.
In a statement signed by Rashid Ibrahim, President of TEIN UPSA, the student group noted that death penalty inherently violates the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and the guarantees of due process of law and of equal protection. The group therefore called for support and appealed to Ghanaian students at all levels to convince their respective Members of Parliament to support the introduction of the bill submitted by Hon Francis Xavier Sosu and vote massively to get off, from our Criminal laws, the horrendous death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment.
If passed, Ghana would have eliminated about 90-95% offences carrying Death Penalty in exception to treason and High Treason which are entrenched provisions in the 1992 Constitution. Currently, countries such as neighbouring Sierra Leone, Benin, Guinea, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, Chad and Malawi, among others.
Read the full Statement by TEIN UPSA :
“Fellow Ghanaians, we bring you warm greetings from the TEIN branch of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA). The TEIN fraternity is happy to announce to the general public that, the renowned human right expert and member of Parliament has taken a bold step to introduce Private Members Bill to amend the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) and Armed Forces Act 1962 Act (105) to substitute the death penalty for life imprisonment and provide for related matters.
We in the TEIN fraternity believes that death penalty inherently violates the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and the guarantees of due process of law and of equal protection. Death Penalty as a form of punishment is an intolerable denial of civil liberties, uncivilized in theory, unfair, inequitable in practice and is inconsistent with the fundamental values of our democratic system. Romulo Neri, a Filipino educator and public servant once said, “If it needs to be amended to strengthen the implementation of the environmental issues then it will have to be amended”. It is for this reason, inter alia, that the TEIN fraternity is commending Hon Francis Xavier Sosu for taking this bold step to get the death penalty expunged from the criminal laws of Ghana and substitute it with life imprisonment.
If this Bill successfully goes through all the necessary procedures needed to operationalize it, Ghana will be recognized not only in Africa but the whole world wide. According to Amnesty International’s 2020 death penalty report, more than two-thirds of the world has now abolished the death penalty in law or practice. A total of 108 countries have completely abolished the death penalty for all crimes, 28 countries have effectively abolished the death penalty by not executing anyone over the past 10 years and 55 countries still retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes. The Ghanaian student’s wish is to see Ghana’s name boldly written in amnesty international’s report that Ghana has expunged death penalty from its criminal laws to become part of these African countries that has successfully expunged it from their criminal codes – Sierra Leone, Benin, Guinea, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, Chad and Malawi, among others,
TEIN UPSA would like to use this medium to appeal to Ghanaian students at all levels to convince their respective Members of Parliament to support the introduction of the bill submitted by Hon Francis Xavier Sosu and vote massively to get off, from our Criminal laws, the horrendous death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment.”
Long Live Ghana!!!
Long Live Madina!!!
Long Live Sosu!!!
Source: expressnewsghana.com
