The founder of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Professor Kwame Karikari, has called on the Council of State not to give in to political pressure in advising the President on whether or not to pardon the jailed Montie FM trio.

According to Professor Karikari, it would be ‘unwise’ for the Council to recommend the release of the Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe – host and panelists of the Accra-based radio station who were convicted of contempt and jailed for four months by the Supreme Court.

“I can only hope that the Council of State will be as wise as they are expected to be. If they advise the President to release these people, I would consider that to be a very unwise advise to the President by an Institution that is supposed to be wise,” he said.

“We are hoping that the Council of State will provide the wisdom that the institution is supposed to exhibit and to advise the  president on. We’re hoping that they’ll be level-headed enough and not behave as if they are an appendage of a political party and that they are members of an institution that is Supra-political parties. That is what we can hope for .I hope they will not come forward and advise the president wrongfully.”

According to Professor Karikari, the pressure which has been put on the president to pardon the trio was unfair and described calls from supporters of the NDC for him to sanction their release or lose their votes as misplaced.

“What is going on appears to be blackmailing the president. There are people who are saying if he doesn’t, they won’t vote for him. They won’t vote for a president because he won’t pardon someone who has threatened the lives of people in public office? We are hoping that the Council of State will come out with a perspective that will bring sanity to the atmosphere. It is unfortunate that the misdeeds of people who have no regard for ethics of journalism and good manners of public speech would bring this country to the brink of crisis of sort,” he added.

He expressed disappointment with the Ministers of State and government officials who also signed the petition for the trio’s release, stating that their pressure could provoke some dissension between the Executive and the Judiciary.

“It is unfortunate that leaders of a [governing] political party would provoke tension between the executive and the judiciary. It’s quite unfortunate and I do hope that the Council of State, being what it is and what it is supposed to be will help bring sanity in this whole atmosphere which is a great and useless diversion of our attention from important national issues,” he said.

Several Ministers have already signed a petition, which was presented to President Mahama and subsequently forwarded to the Council of State for their consideration.

Education Minister, Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, Deputy Education Minister, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare and  Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur and the Foreign Affairs, Hanna Tetteh all endorsed the petition.

Other Ministers including Trade Minister, Ekow Spio Garbrah and Transport Minister, Fiifi Kwetey have visited the trio in jail.

No serious president would free trio

Professor Karikari has previously suggested that it would a bad political decision for the president to pardon the three men as his chances in the election could hinge on his choice.

According to him, ‘no serious president’ would grant them their freedom following their unwarranted attack on the Judiciary.

“There’s no serious president in a democracy that will cede to a call like that under our circumstances. It will be politically suicidal for the president to accede to the call of his party,” he told the media.

source:citifmonline