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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has called on Ghanaian practitioners of Alternative Dispute Resolution to work toward making Ghana the center of regional ADR hub, as other nations have done.
President Akufo-Addo is confident that the opening of an ADR center, fourteen years after the ADR Act 798 was passed, will further offer a practical chance for cases involving the use of the state’s valuable natural resources and multimillion-dollar commercial disputes to be resolved in Ghana in a very wholesome environment. It will also allow ADR practitioners, in particular members of the Ghana Bar Association, to hone their skills in the resolution of such disputes.
Because of this, the country has a significant advantage over other contenders to become the hub of arbitration in all of Africa, and especially in West Africa. These advantages include a robust judicial system, an open and liberal economy, and an atmosphere that is friendly to business in general. Ghana should be seen by our surrounding nations as a safe haven for investment as well as for resolving issues.
This he added, “shall propel Ghana to be an arbitration hub in Africa, particularly in West Africa.”
President Akufo-Addo said this when he, pursuant to section 1181 of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act 2010, (Act 789), inaugurated the Governing Board of the Alternative Resolution Centre into office at the Jubilee House in Accra.
Chaired by the respected retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Victor Jones Mawulom Dotse, who was nominated by the President alongside Mrs Efua Ghartey, membership also includes Francis Kofi Korankye-Sakyi, from the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Michael Gyang Owusu, from the Ghana Bar Association, Surv. Jose Nicco-Annan, from the Ghana Institute of Surveyors, Her Ladyship Angelina Mensah-Homiah, from the Judiciary, Ms Joyce Adu, of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Mrs Philomena Aba Sampson, a representative from Organised labour.
President Akufo-Addo, noted that, ADR mechanisms such as mediation, arbitration and negotiation provide parties with the opportunity to resolve their disputes, amicably preserving relationships and fostering a culture of dialogue and understanding. These techniques have shown to be successful in a number of international countries. And I have no doubt that they would be equally beneficial here in Ghana.
The President referred to it as a “new chapter” in Ghanaian civil litigation and mentioned the Ghana Bar Association, the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, and the Private Enterprise Federation’s repeated calls for the introduction of ADR mechanisms, particularly arbitration, to reduce court backlog and improve knowledge and specialization in specific legal fields, such as energy, natural resources, commercial, and investment law.
He praised Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney General, and the current Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Araba Sackey Torkornoo, for their hard work in establishing the center. He also praised the Attorney General’s office and the Attorney General for successfully defending Ghana’s interests abroad and winning a number of arbitration cases at little or no cost to the country.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
