Lawyers in Wa say High Court complex construction has halted
MyJoyOnline reports that lawyers and state prosecutors in Wa, the administrative centre of Ghana’s Upper West Region, have stated that construction of a three-storey High Court complex has once again been halted. Representatives of the regional branch of the Ghana Bar Association and the Attorney General’s Office claim that the contractor has removed equipment from the site, while the region still has no modern purpose-built courtroom.
During an inspection of the site on September 4, the legal professionals noted open gates, uninstalled equipment components that could be stolen, as well as paint on the exterior walls that began peeling less than three months after it was applied.
Condition of the current courts
Siddick Ubeidu, chairman of the regional branch of the Ghana Bar Association, said that work on the site began nearly 20 years ago and has been repeatedly delayed. According to him, on April 1, the association’s national leadership received assurances that construction would be completed within three to four months. Later, a delegation from the Judicial Service led by Supreme Court Justice Yonny Kulendi also assured that the complex would be ready for use in two to three months.
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Ubeidu noted that the buildings where judicial proceedings are currently held are in a dangerous condition. He reported major cracks in judges’ chambers and courtrooms, as well as a lack of workspace for staff. According to him, employees have to share space in courtrooms with participants in proceedings.
Call to complete the work
The region’s principal state attorney, Saeed Abdul-Shakur, said that the region serves 11 districts and that the High Court, district court and circuit courts operate in colonial-era and temporary structures. Crispin Wura-Sey Zieka, acting secretary of the association’s regional branch, added that the district court magistrate sometimes waits in a car until participants gather for a hearing.
The legal professionals appealed to the Chief Justice, the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice to intervene and secure the return of the contractor and consultants to the site. At the same time, the contractor, Project Seven Limited, denied that it had abandoned the construction site. Its director, Simon Sowa, said that the company has unpaid certificates for completed work awaiting payment from the Judicial Service and the central government, and that it will return to the site after the debt is settled.
