Ghana Media Center for Social and Economic Justice (Ghana Media Center) is calling on the Speaker of Parliament to raise the bar of governance, by applying the law to punish individuals involved in the Mahama Ayariga bribery scandal which has rocked the house presently.
It is disappointing that corruption has becoming epidemic in all the three arms of government; the Executive, Legislature, and the Judiciary. These are supposed to be our centers of integrity. Unfortunately they have become centers of bribery and corruption.
Whether the MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, framed up the bribery allegations or Boakye Agyarko indeed tried to bribe his way out of the vetting, should not be taken as “your word against my word” situation. The issue is that there has been a plethora of bribery allegations against the Parliaments of the fourth republic over the years. The Speaker has not been able to purge the house of any of the previous allegations.
The MP for Nadowli/Kaleo, Honorable Alban Bagbin is on record as having said that MPs take bribes. Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore K.T Hammond also hinted of corruption against the then Speaker of Parliament, Rt Honorable Doe Adjaho, and the majority members of Parliament in the transaction involving the sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz. The Speaker threatened to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee but again we heard nothing thereafter.
Honorable P. C. Appiah-Ofori also alleged that members of Parliament took $5,000 each in order to approve the Ghana Telecom to Vodafone deal.
Some ordinary members of society have also made allegations of corruption against Parliament. Prof. Stephen Addae has revealed that Parliamentarians used their positions to take bribes for their girlfriends. Martin Amidu has also alleged that MPs demand for money in the delivery of their work. All these allegations have gone uninvestigated, and unpunished.
The Speaker, Right Honorable Professor Mike Ocquaye, is faced with the opportunity to purge the house of all the Charlatans who have found their ways into Parliament. In this regard, Ghana Media Center is calling for a thorough truly independent investigation into the Mahama Ayariga’s bribery allegations, and hopes to see severe consequences for those found guilty in the scandal.
Source: James Kofi Annan/[email protected]
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AYARIGA IS VERY INSISTING OF RECEIVING A MONEY FROM MUNTAKA AND CLAIMED THAT IT WAS GIVEN BY OSEI OWUSU FROM AGYARKO. BY HIS INTERVIEW TO RADIO STATIONS, HE IS VERY MUCH INSISTING THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED AND THAT SOMEBODY GAVE HIM MONEY WHICH HE RETURNED. SO IF HE WAS NOT DAY-DREAMING, IT MEANS SOMETHING HAPPENED AND I DONT THINK HE WAS HALLUCINATION. IT IS ALSO VERY INTERESTING ABOUT THE FORCE WITH WHICH MUNTAKA AND OSEI OWUSU HAVE DENIED THE AYARIGA'S CLAIM AGAINST THEM. IT BE DEDUCED FROM THE WHOLE SCENARIO THAT EITHER SOMEBODY IS MISCHIEVOUS OR SOMEBODY IS LYING. NONE OF THE TWO STANCE IS WORTHY OF OUR PARLIAMENTARIANS WHO WE ADDRESS AS HONORABLE MEN AND WOMEN. IT IS THEREFORE REQUIRED BY THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INCRIMINATED IN THIS SAGA OR THE PARLIAMENT TO PURGE THEMSELVES OF THIS SCANDAL. ANY INACTION OR SOFT APPROACH TO DEAL WITH THE MATTER WILL BE VERY DAMAGING TO THE IMAGE OF SOME INDIVIDUALS. A PERSON LIKE OSEI OWUSU MUST NOT TAKE THE MATTER LIGHT. 1. HE IS 2ND SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT. 2. HE IS CHAIRMAN OF THE VETTING COMMITTEE. PRESIDENT AKKUFO ADDO AND HIS PARTY HAVE REPOSE SO MUCH FAITH IN HIM. MIGHT BE ALREADY REGRETTED FOR THE TRUST REPOSED IN HIM, THEY MIGHT BE ALREADY REGRETTED, IF HE IS NOT INNOCENT. HE IS DONE WITH HIS POLITICAL IMAGE IF HE FAILS TO DEFEND HIMSELF. LOOK AT PEOPLE LIKE APRAKU. HE MUST GO TO ANY EXTENT TO RECLAIM HIS REPUTATION NO MATTER HOW MUCH SUCH A STEP WOULD BE DISPLEASING TO OTHERS TO COST HIM HIS PRESENT OFFICES. MARTIN AMIDU IS VERY MUCH RESPECTED BY MANY IN GHANA BECAUSE OF HIS COURAGE TO TAKE A BOLD DECISION THAT SAVE HIS REPUTATION. IN TEN YEARS FROM NOW MANY WILL STILL RESPECT MARTIN AND NOT EVEN MAHAMA WHO BECAME PRESIDENT. POSTERITY RESPECT PEOPLE WHO LIVE BY PRINCIPLE AND NOT BY COMPROMISE. NONE OF THE LEADERSHIP AT PARLIAMENT REPUTATION IS AT STAKE. IT IS YOU, OSEI OWUSU WHOSE REPUTATION IS DAMAGED. DONT JUST YIELD TO PRESSURE OF ANYBODY THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE NO ACTION. YOU MUST TAKE ACTION TO PURGE YOURSELF AND SAVE YOUR NAME IF YOU ARE INNOCENT. NOBODY WOULD TAKE YOUR INNOCENCE FOR GRANTED UNTIL YOU PURGE YOURSELF. YOU MUST KNOW THAT IN GHANA IT IS EASY TO BE LABELLED CORRUPT BY PERCEPTION RATHER THAN FACT.