The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, The Most Reverend Professor Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, has issued a powerful and sobering call for national introspection, condemning the increasing politicization of public life, corruption in leadership, and the pursuit of self-interest at the expense of justice and the common good.
Delivering the sermon at the 43rd Remembrance Service for the Judicial Martyrs—three High Court judges and a military officer murdered on June 30, 1982—held at the Accra Ridge Church, the Most Rev. Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu lamented Ghana’s failure to learn from its political and legal history, especially the painful chapter that saw the brutal killing of Justices Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Fred Poku Sarkodee, Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong, and Major Sam Acquah.
He warned that while many families and friends of victims have found it within themselves to forgive, the nation continues to be haunted by the same patterns of injustice and political manipulation that led to the killings. “Unfortunately, as a nation, we seem not to have learned any lessons from these dark chapters,” he said.
“Today, politics is often driven by personal greed and the quest to enrich friends, family, and cronies.”
Drawing from the biblical passage in Micah 6:8—“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”—the Most Rev. Asamoah-Gyadu reminded Ghanaians that true goodness is not found in public displays of piety or power, but in compassion, humility, and justice.
He explained that “to be good” is to act in a way that uplifts others, not exploits them. “Goodness is compassionate, not cruel; uplifting, not destructive; generous, not greedy,” he declared.
He warned that “many in leadership today have institutionalized greed and idolatry, using their power not for service, but to trample on the rights and dignity of others.”
Rev. Asamoah-Gyadu criticized the complicity of some in the clergy and legal profession who, instead of speaking truth to power, “have become lapdogs of the political elite, trading prophetic boldness for personal comfort.”
Citing the prophet Micah’s fierce denunciation of corruption in his time, the bishop called out all sectors—politicians, judges, and religious leaders—for what he described as “collective betrayal of justice.”
“In Micah’s words, rulers judge for bribes, priests teach for a price, and prophets tell fortunes for money,” he said.
“These institutions—executive, judiciary, and clergy—were all complicit then, and many still are today.”
In a pointed remark, he added: “We complain of the arrogance of elected governments, but often, what replaces them is just another class addicted to partisanship and nepotism—equally dangerous and equally unjust.”
The Presiding Bishop challenged the Ghana Bar Association to reclaim its prophetic voice and commit to speaking boldly against injustice, even when it is unpopular or politically inconvenient.
“The tragedy is not just that our martyrs were murdered, but that their sacrifice has not led to transformation,” he noted.
“Justice was denied them in life, and today, justice continues to be denied many in our society,” he said.
“If we want to honour their memory, we must rebuild the national conscience that respects human life, upholds fairness, and promotes the rule of law—not in rhetoric, but in action.”
He warned that until Ghana reclaims a culture of moral leadership rooted in truth and compassion, the country risks repeating the past.
“Let this memorial not just be an annual ritual,” he concluded. “Let it be a national turning point—a reminder that the blood of the innocent cries out for justice.”
The service marked the culmination of events commemorating the June 30 Judicial Martyrs Day, organized annually by the Ghana Bar Association to honour judges and legal officers who died in the line of duty and to renew the national call for judicial independence, constitutional order, and rule of law.
