The spokesperson for the John Dramani Mahama campaign team, Beatrice Annan, clashed with Ellen Ama Daaku, a member of the New Patriotic Party’s communication team, on TV3’s Big Issues on the September 25, 2024 episode of the show.
The two politicians, who were billed as panelists for the show to discuss the just-ended Democracy Hub protest aimed at fighting against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, got heated as a result of their diverse opinions.
Ama, who had described the protesters as hooligans aiming to inconvenience everybody in the country comment did not sit well with Beatrice.
Beatrice argued that Ama would have appreciated it better if she had the perspective of what the law says about fundamental human rights, especially in the wake of the arrested protesters who were reportedly denied their lawyers and some detained for more than 48 hours.
Ama Daaku couldn’t allow Beatrice to finish her point and interrupted, arguing that Beatrice was attacking her professional intelligence. She asserted that Beatrice, who claimed to be a lawyer, had insulted her profession and all lawyers in the country as a bunch of foolish people.
The host, however, made peace by calling on both panelists to speak to issues and stop personal attacks.
Read an excerpt of their conversation below :
Beatrice: What I want to say is that it is my prayer that when anybody goes to law school, they actually get the opportunity to finish law school and be a lawyer, and not just be a lawyer but have a brush with our criminal justice system.
…the police for the first time have not just proceeded beyond the demonstration but have actually arrested 50 citizens.
Beatrice: It is an eyesore that Ellen will attempt reading LLB
Ellen: Is she coming at me?
Beatrice: You mentioned my name.
Ellen: You that you go insulting your whole bar, you are coming at me, madam. Talk about your matter, don’t let us go this way… No, she is coming at me and saying that the fact that I have decided to put LLB on hold. No, I won’t let her finish because she decided to come at me, and when you come at me, you will receive it.
You can insult your whole profession and tell them that they are a bunch of foolish people led by their leaders. You are talking about law as you sit here. You are not sad; you are not scandalized about how you treat your own profession. You are talking about me. I am not a lawyer, I attempted and I put it on hold. I have done my bit in education, you are a lawyer, you need the law, you work with the law, but you insulted all lawyers and then you are coming at me.
Eii, madam, stand well, don’t even go there. Don’t come at me, don’t come at my profession, don’t come at my educational accomplishment because if we decide to go that way, today you won’t get up. You have insulted the whole bar.
Beatrice: I am saying that when you have the benefits of coming in contact with the law and the study of law…
Ellen: The same benefits that now you have but can insult your whole bar, so don’t even go there, move on.
Beatrice: …it is my expectation that how we approach issues against protesters would be different from lay people because you know why, the first thing they teach you in law school, criminal law, is the principle of legality, the right of an accused person, and they don’t just teach you but you are trained in a way to see the law from a certain perspective so that we are not discussing the guilt or otherwise of the protesters.
Beatrice Annan ESQ clashed with Ellen Ama Daaku while making her submission on the remanded Democracy Hub protestors.#TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/12K1Towei3
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) September 26, 2024
