The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has been adjudged the Best Minister in Ghana in 2021, scoring 92.61 percent following the resolution of 499 law school candidates’ case, among others.
During the award’s presentation, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) FAKS Investigative Services, Fred Yaw Sarpong, said commendations from the public about the minister were for the resolution brought to the 499 entry law students’ case.
“Some of the issues emanating from respondents during the survey included the admission of 499 law students, Ghana winning the Norway Chancery case, and Transformation at the Registrar-General’s Department,” Mr. Sarpong said.
The annual survey also included performance of Members of Parliament and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in the country.
According to FAKS, about 69% of the respondents were between the ages of 18 and 55 while the remaining 31% were between the ages of 56 and 77. The survey took place between the months of October and December 2021, and it was the 10th Edition since FAKS started this project in 2012.
Mainly, the survey focused on opinions from the public; assessment from the ministries, agencies; as well as information from the Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs).
The public, respondents, contributed largely to the outcome of this survey, especially concerning the Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Regional Ministers and CEOs of State Institutions.
In response, the Attorney-General said: “I must first pay tribute to the dedication of the Attorney-General’s staff in any accomplishment. It definitely could not have been possible without their support.
“There were a lot of challenges to resolution of the 499 case, in the sense that there were two big interests which were competing – the interest of the General Legal Counsel (given that standards had been set for the examinations); and legitimate demands of the candidates for the examinations,” he noted.
“I also recognised that there were some ambiguities in the standards. Therefore, on account of fairness, a review had to be made on the decision to deny the 499 students.
“So, I had to balance the General Legal Counsel, who definitely is seeking to protect its integrity against the legitimate demands of candidates for the examinations. So, I felt that in the spirit of fairness a second look ought to be taken on the decision to deny the candidates,” he said.
2021 Survey
Respondents to the survey were journalists, students, traders in general, traditional rulers, teachers, business owners, civil society organisations (CSOs), drivers, academia and others.
Ashanti Region recorded the highest respondents, followed by the Greater Accra Region, Western Region; and the Eastern, Central, Volta, Bono, Oti, Western North, Bono East, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah, Ahafo, North East and Northern Regions respectively.
In total, 3,953 respondents were recorded, representing 91.36 percent of respondents recorded in the 2020 survey that was 4,327. Out of the 3,953 feedbacks received during the period, 2,365 of them representing 59.83 percent were females; while the remaining 1,588 representing 40.17 percent were males.
Meanwhile, the ranking was between 50 percent and 100 percent. FAKS Investigative Services is a Ghanaian research and investigative firm.
