When Oliver Barker-Vormawor was summoned by the Appointments Committee of Parliament over supposed contemptuous comments he made on social media, one of the main expectations was who his choice of counsel would be.
The choice of lawyer for the social activist had become topical not just because of the severity of the issue but also because Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, who had been his lead counsel since the demise of the venerable Akoto Ampaw, was primed for the position of Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
With his impending role meaning that he would appear before the Appointments Committee, it was viewed by many as a potentially suicidal move if he appeared before the committee as Barker-Vormawor’s lawyer.
As a result, many were looking forward to who Barker-Vormawor was going to recruit as his counsel for the much-anticipated showdown.
It was therefore a matter of shock when Oliver appeared before the committee with none other than one of Ghana’s legal and political luminaries, Nana Ato Dadzie as his counsel.
The selection of Nana Ato Dadzie was viewed as a strategic move by Barker-Vormawor as he commanded respect from both sides of the house, particularly the NDC caucus of Parliament.
Who is Nana Ato Dadzie?
Nana Ato Dadzie is a leading member of the NDC and was the Secretary of State for the Central Region (equivalent to Central Regional Minister) in 1983.
From 1983 to 2001, Nana Dadzie served as a Presidential Advisor with cabinet status to Jerry John Rawlings.
He was also the Secretary of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and Secretary to the Government of Ghana from 1983 to 1993.
From 1993 to 1997, Nana Ato Dadzie handled the role of Special Assistant to President Jerry John Rawlings.
He was later appointed as Chief of Staff with cabinet status in the second government, serving in that capacity from 1997 to 2001 when Jerry John Rawlings left office as president.
In his role as Chief of Staff, he served as the coordinator for the historic visit of US President Bill Clinton to Ghana in 1998.
