The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has responded to recent publications claiming that President John Dramani Mahama was not invited to the association’s upcoming annual conference in Wa.
In a statement signed by National President, Mrs. Efua Ghartey and National Secretary Kwaku Gyau Baffour, the GBA described the claims as false and misleading.
According to the GBA, President Mahama was formally invited to the conference as the Guest of Honour, and he graciously accepted the invitation.
The association revealed that an informal invitation was extended during a courtesy call on the President in March 2025, followed by a formal invitation letter dated July 21, 2025.
The presidency received the letter on July 29, 2025, and responded with an acceptance letter dated August 1, 2025.
The GBA explained that it is their practice to circulate initial notices of the annual conference before receiving responses from invited guests, including the President. Once confirmation is received, updated notices are published and circulated to members.
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The association also addressed concerns about inviting the Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales, stating that this is not unprecedented and that they maintain relationships with various professional bodies worldwide.
Below is the full statement:
GHANA BAR ASSOCIATION’S STATEMENT ON THE INVITATION OF THE PRESIDENT TO THE UPCOMING GHANA BAR ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
The attention of the Ghana Bar Association (the GBA) has been drawn to publications stating that the GBA did not invite the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, to the 2025 Annual Conference of the GBA, and that the GBA has not accorded the President of the Republic the level of prominence given to the immediate past president of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Annual Conferences of the GBA in the years 2017 through to 2024.
The publication also raises a concern about the fact that the GBA has rather invited the Chair of the Bar Council of
England and Wales.
The allegations in the publications are false, misleading and a misconception of facts and the GBA urges all persons to verify information (which the GBA is available to give) on such matters before publishing same.
The GBA wishes to set the record straight by stating that the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, has been invited as the Guest of Honour at the 2025 Annual Conference of the GBA to be held in Wa, the Upper West Regional capital and the President has graciously accepted to honour the invitation.
As far back as March 2025, the Bar Council paid a courtesy call on the President and extended an informal invitation. Thereafter, we sent a formal invitation letter dated 21st July, 2025 which was received at the presidency on 29th July, 2025. Subsequently, the GBA received an acceptance letter from the presidency dated 1st August, 2025, with Ref. No. OPS 311/25/2817.
It has been the practice of the GBA, in its bid to create the necessary publicity of its Annual Conferences, to circulate initial notices of its Annual Conferences to its members whilst awaiting response(s) of invited guests, including the President of the Republic, who may have not responded to the invitation extended to them at the time of publication of the initial notices.
Indeed, the processes leading to and involving the planning and organization of this year’s Annual Conference of the GBA are not markedly different from those of the years gone by.
In line with the practice of the GBA relative to publication of notices of its Annual Conference, an initial publication of the notice for this year’s Annual Conference was done at the time that the Association had not received a response to the invitation extended to the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama.
Upon receipt of confirmation by the BA that the President of the Republic would honour the invitation to attend this year’s Annual Conference at Wa, the Association, in line with its practice published and circulated another notice on the Conference, which states the following:
“This year’s Conference shall be under the distinguished patronage of H.E.
John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, as Guest of Honour.”
One of such updated notices was sent via e-mail on the 8th day of August, 2025, to all members of the GBA with active e-mail addresses known to the Association.
We also wish to place on record that this is not the first time the Bar Council of England and Wales is joining the GBA at its annual Conference.
At the Association’s Annual Conference held in Ho, the Volta Regional capital in the year 2022, the Bar Council of England and Wales participated in the Conference.
The GBA also maintains relationships with other professional bodies like the African Bar Association, the International Bar Association, Nigerian Bar Association, Sierra Leonean Bar Association, Law Society of Kenya, Law Society England and Wales, the American Bar Association, among others who from year to year are invited to attend programmes of the GBA.
The GBA will not do anything to undermine the authority and dignity of the office of the President of the Republic of Ghana, as it is a non partisan Association. The GBA is an association of Ghanaian lawyers and its leadership’s fidelity is to the Constitution of Ghana, other laws of Ghana and the Association’s Constitution.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
