President Mills swears -in Whittal as Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ

Category: Politics Created on Friday, 20 July 2012 17:37 Published Date Written by All Ghana News Hits: 373

Accra, July 20, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday swore-in Mr Joseph Akanjoluer Whittal, a State Attorney and Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Operations of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice as the Commission’s new Deputy Commissioner.

     The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Osu Castle in Accra, and witnessed by Lauretta Vivian Lamptey, the Head of the Commission.

     President Mills used the occasion to task members of the Commission to work as a team for Ghanaians to derive maximum benefits from their work.

     Established on July 6, 1993, under Act 456, pursuant to the 1992 Constitution, the CHRAJ is an independent quasi-judicial institution, empowered among other things to investigate complaints of violations of fundamental rights, injustice, corruption, abuse of power, and unfair treatment of any person by a public officer in the exercise of his duties.

     It is also to investigate complaints concerning the functioning of the Public Services, the administrative organs of state, the Armed Forces, the Police Service, and the Prisons Service in so far as the complaints relate to the failure to achieve a balanced structure of those services, or equal access by all to the recruitment of those services or fair administration in relation to those services.

     The Commission is empowered to investigate complaints concerning practices and actions by persons, private enterprises and other institutions, where those complaints allege violations of fundamental rights and freedoms under the Constitution, as well as investigating all instances of alleged or suspected corruption and the misappropriation of moneys by officials and to take appropriate steps including reports to the Attorney-General and the Auditor General, resulting from such investigations.

     The CHRAJ is also to educate the public on human rights.

     Mr Whittal promised to work diligently to justify the confidence reposed in him and discharge his duties without fear or favour.

     He has 18 years experience with the Commission.   

     Mr Whittal’s experience includes being the President of the Upper East Ghana Bar Association, a partner of the Law Firm Ayieta Law Consult and Chairman of the Justice and Security Sub Committee of the Builsa District Assembly.