Criminologist and Human Rights lawyer Prof. Ken Attafuah has congratulated President Mills for what he calls a timely appointment of a new head of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). Ms. Lauretta Vivian Lamptey, a lawyer by profession was on Tuesday sworn into office by President Mills as the new CHRAJ commissioner. Prof. Attafuah in an interview with Joy News’ Kwaku Obeng Adjei said “I think it is a decision that is most welcome. I congratulate the President and I congratulate the new appointee… being a woman is an uncommon human good and again I congratulate the president for choosing a woman to fill this very, very important niche of our national, constitutional and human rights and political lives.” He added that “I think a woman will bring to this position a pool of talent [that] the president recognizes will be available to her, the graciousness of her gender as well as the immense experience that [undoubtedly] must have impressed his Excellency.” He said the appointment of Ms. Lamptey shows that women can aspire to achieve greater heights and that there are opportunities for both gender to reach the high points in their careers. Prof. Attafuah said even though he does not know Ms. Lamptey very well, she will have to bring on board her own unique qualities to bear on such an important organisation if she wants to succeed. “It is not sufficient to be an institutional head. It is important to be an institutional leader and a generational leader and a transformative leader. That is the kind of leadership that is most warranted at the moment,” he stressed. He said Ms. Lamptey will have to “chart a new course that builds upon the past and also gives a vision for the future, and hope indeed that the staff of the Commission is mobilized and that the generality of the public will be enlisted in support of human rights.” He extended a hand of support to her and called on Ghanaians to lend her a similar support in order to advance the course of the protection of human rights in the country. Prof. Attafuah however said the new CHRAJ boss will have to clear a few bottlenecks. “I think her immediate challenge will be to assure the staff of the Commission in particular of her commitment to the same values and principles that underpin the work of the Commission, enlist their support, build consensus around critical issues within the house and to reorganize to the extent possible, the internal structures of the Commission to position the Commission to chart its anti-corruption, administrative justice functions far more efficaciously than it has done today,” he added. He said she would have to find a way to mobilize resources for the Commission as well as drive a general societal appreciation of what human rights entail. Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana