The Minority Caucus in Parliament say they are unfazed by the political witch-hunt tactics adopted by the Akufo-Addo-led government, assuring that they shall remain resolute and faithful to their mandate and high expectations of the people who elected them into office.
Besides that, they shall also continue to keep the government on its toes irrespective of the persistent harassment of its members who are mainly from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the group noted, cannot intimidate them.
“We know a witch-hunt when we see one. We wish to send a crystal clear message to the Akufo-Addo Government that the Minority will not be intimidated nor cowed into shirking our democratic and constitutional duties”, the group led by its Spokesperson on Finance, Casiel Ato Forson told journalists at a press conference in Accra in Tuesday, April 10, 2018.
The comments of the group were in sharp response to a publication in the Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Guide newspaper which alleged that some twenty-two (22) Article 71 appointees of the erstwhile Mahama administration received double salaries as Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs).
The paper further alleged that some of the beneficiary members have offered to make refunds of the double salaries they took.
Hon. Ato Forson who is a former Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning speaking further on the Daily Guide’s reportage contends that no appointee in the erstwhile Mahama administration took double salaries.
“We must state for the records that contrary to the claims by the Daily Guide, no appointee has offered to make refunds of double salaries. We challenge the Daily Guide to adduce evidence of their claims. We also find it curious that the Daily Guide was unable to produce the full list of the alleged 22 appointees”, he noted.
Hon. Forson argued that all that is happening is a clear attempt by the Government to manipulate the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to intimidate and witch-hunt members of the NDC.
“Last week, twenty-five of us received strange letters and phone calls from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service inviting us to confer with Mrs. M.Y.T. Addo-Danquah, Deputy Commissioner of Police and to assist in investigations of allegations of double salaries made against us by Government.
“In a bizarre twist, as we were readying to appear before the CID this week beginning from yesterday considering that we had been grouped to appear on separate days, the CID called some of our colleagues to inform them that they were no longer required to appear as they had made mistakes with 18 of the 25 Minority MPs originally contacted,” Mr. Forson explained.
He repeated: “Yes, you heard me right. As many as 18 of the 25 invitations have since been withdrawn on the basis of mistakes committed by the Government. Government must really be in an indecent hurry to divert attention from its failings by this pathetic attempt to cow us into submission. No wonder Government ended up with eggs on its face yesterday.”
Mr. Forson added: “It is sad that the hitherto respected and highly professional CID is being forced by excessive political maneuvering and underhand tactics to make that noble organization blunder and lose its credibility”.
The NDC, he said, will remain resolute and continue to check the government to do the right thing.
Source: kasapafmonline.com
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Our elected representatives spend time on ***barred word*** press conferences like this one on particular. The minority in parliament have objections to anything this government does. Thank democracy,some of those objections are relevant but most of them are just petty, intended to make noise in the media spectrum. You are adults and should behave a such. Think about the nation and desist from the sstuuppiidiittyy of denting political opponents to the detriment of Nation building. To the Government and the President; we understand that you have to put things in place to be able to pursue the agenda of Nation building but some decisions have nothing to do with strengthening the fundamentals. So many things gone bad in this government in this one year and some months. Leave to your CALLING.
ANOTHER PRESS CONFERENCE. NDC WENT BANANAS.
Waaaa look at them, just one and half year in opposition, all the NDC communicators, led by incompetent Mahama have gone into drinking and all the communicators are now drunkards. The other day it was Koku who got drunk and was making coup attempts on radio to overthrow Nana by force. Radio stations must stop inviting these NDC drunkard on radio programs, they have no meaningful contributions apart from insulting Nana. Last two weeks it was Aseidu Nketsia , Kofi Adams, Alhaji Inusah Mutaka and Ablakwa who were heavily drunk during their press conference, and today its Kwaku Boahene. JJ must call them to order. Alcohol can't solve their problems.
hehehehehehe, oh Minority. you see news paper publication and are quick to react. sign of popoblibli.