Open Letter To Martin Amidu

Dear Hon. Amidu, I have been following and reading your articles over a period. I like your courage to speak the truth and stand by it no matter the cost. Your love for constitutional democracy and the abhorrence of corruption appears to be incomparable in the Republic of Ghana. I have not known you too well probably because I am still within the age group of 1 � 30 years but your public posture for a while now portrays a man who is discipline and committed to the progress of his Country and Party. Congratulations Sir! Sir, in the face of all these perceived image about you, I wish to submit to you that your last two (2) articles published in the media has been disappointing with all due respect. I mean; 1. REPORTING A SITTING PRESIDENT OR GOVERNMENT TO ANY PUBLIC INSTITUTION TO BE INVESTIGATED FOR CORRUPTION. Published on October 8, 2012 2. DIVERSITY IN UNITY FOR SUSTAINABLE NATION BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF ETHNIC, RACIAL, RELIGIOUS AND OTHER IDENTITY ARITHMETIC IN POLITICS. Published on August 23, 2012. Your value appears to be deteriorating, Sir. I am also a citizen of Ghana (just like you) who cherishes my right as a citizen and cannot allow some of the hollow issues you have raised to pass without exercising my birth right as a citizen to tell you not to write for the reading of the public unnecessary articles as though we were all fools. I hope you are not offended by my choice of words likewise the President to your similar usage of such words. First of all, you have (just like the opposition NPP) described the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama as a transitional president. Sir, what do you mean by transitional president? For your information, Ghana has only one President at any point in time. When the President is away from Ghana, or is unable to perform his functions, then the Vice president becomes a caretaker president until such time the president returns. This is very clear in article 60 (8) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana; �Whenever the President is absent from Ghana or is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office, the Vice-President shall perform the functions of the President until the President returns or is able to perform his functions�. This is what can be described as a caretaker President. Sir, on your description of the humble President, John Mahama as a transitional president, I guess you would face the reality and apologize to the President and the people of Ghana after reading this letter. Let me draw your attention to a scenario where Ghana could be described as having a transitional President and it is grounded in law � when for any reasons, the President and his/her vice are not in office, the Speaker of Parliament acts as a transitional President pending an election within a short period of time just like filling the vacancy of a Member of Parliament. Article 60 (13) of the constitution states �Where the Speaker of Parliament assumes the office of President as a result of the death , resignation or removal from office of the President and the Vice-President, there shall be a presidential election within three months after the assumption of office�. This is what could best be described as a transitional president because the Speaker of Parliament has no mandate from the people. The President and his Vice have a mandate from the people! And that is why the framers of the constitution did not make the Vice-President a transitional President in a situation like what befell us on the July 24, 2012. Sir, I am sure you are now seeing the light from my argument; humbly cross-check from Article 60 (4) of your copy of the 1992 constitution and you would realize that President John Mahama has the mandate of the people to rule; �A candidate shall be deemed to be duly elected a Vice-President if the candidate who designated him as candidate has been duly elected as President in accordance with the provisions of article 63 of this constitution�. So, Sir, kindly apologize to the President and his people for disrespecting and ridiculing the presidency � it would not degrade your pride. In your article published on October 8, 2012, you vehemently detested the challenge thrown by President John Mahama and rather prescribed a bi-partisan committee of Parliament approach. Hon., what do say about the sole commissioner on judgment debts too? Do you not think it is a commitment from your Leader to fight corruption? Or you think the �pressure groups� will strike again? Sir, I ask because, you seem to have taken us back to the failed NPP allegations of corruption against President John Mahama. Hon., you subtly accused the President on the purchase of the five aircraft and the E. O. Group and Tullow oil saga. Sir, did you propose the bi-partisan committee of Parliament because you were also looking forward to accuse the President like the NPP did? Anyways, why do you think that the middle class in Ghana including you would not believe that any impartial investigation by any public anti-corruption agencies as presently constituted could do a good investigations on the President and the Government he leads. So, why do you in particular do not believe in Governance Institutions in this country? Sir, do you remember an article you wrote titled �UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF MILLS� OVERRULING SUPREME COURT� and published on May 28, 2012, in which you stated: ��I repeat that there is no guarantee that the judges will decide for Government simply because the President appointed them�. And in your recent article, you stated: �In spite of the fact that I left office fighting Gargantuan corruption and abuse of the judgment debt process in this very Government, I will be answering to the �a fool will be a fool whether he goes to school or not� adage to report President Mahama or his Government to any of the public anti-corruption agencies appointed by the same Government�. Do you realize the contradiction yourself? Or you think that judges have higher credibility compared to commissioners of anti-corruption agencies? Do you realize that some judges and commissioners have similar powers? Sir, my feeble advice to you as a father and �mentor� is that as a prolific writer as you are, you must be on top of all your write-ups such that the consistency of your principles and positions would not be compromised by your good self as you have done. Again Sir, you made certain demands in your publication on �DIVERSITY IN UNITY FOR SUSTAINABLE NATION BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT� on August 23, 2012. This is what you stated: �I went to see my informant to confirm the news. He confronted me with the fact that it was time Northerners came together to fight for the Presidential candidacy of the NDC. My answer was that we needed a Presidential candidate who can unite the NDC and win the election on the basis of probity, accountability and transparency. Should a candidate from Northern Ghana emerge who possesses those qualities I would support him on the basis of that merit, and not merely on ethnic considerations� In the same article, you stated; ��.Until the NDC undertakes drastic reforms between now and December 2012 this nation appears to be in the last chapter of Animal Farm where the animals can no longer make a distinction between the hosting pigs and their human guest at the banquet in the Farmhouse�� For your information, all demands and wishes have been fulfilled. 1. The NDC now have a candidate who has carried unity through the ranks. 2. The NDC now have a candidate who has initiated drastic reforms ahead of the elections. What do you want again? In your recent article you stated; �Someone publicized my comments in the book of condolences to the late President Mills in which I stated that: �You know I fought the system and not your person� and others took it for a joke. I meant what I wrote�. Hello Sir, I took this statement as the JOKE of the century! Your numerous articles and statements suggest otherwise. You actually fought the person President John Mills and not any system. Sir, do you remember your publication on why you have not been using party channels for your advocacy which was published on May 29, 2012? You accused the person President John Mills of deceit and betrayal. This is what you stated in the last paragraph of page 3; �In view of the deceit and betrayal I have gone through in the hands of the President, how does anyone expect me to trust that the Government would not again put further spins on any advice I give it or any information I pass over to it on probity, accountability and transparency discretely. That is why I have chosen to exercise my constitutional right to freedom of speech and also to defend the Constitution in my advocacy for integrity in Government openly and in the public domain�. Sir, in this statement, were you fighting the system or President Mills? Again, in that same article, you accused the Late President John Mills who appointed you of interfering in your duties. ��It was in the course of the meeting of 13th January 2012 that I told the President (citing examples) that he had been interfering in the execution of my functions as the Attorney-General under Article 88 of the Constitution�� Sir, this is clearly another case of fighting President Mills and not the system. It is important to also draw your attention to the fact that you accused President John Mills of going against the Constitution by usurping the powers of the Supreme Court � a position the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council disagreed in their tribute to the Late President. In your article tittled: �UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF MILLS� OVERRULING SUPREME COURT� and published on May 28, 2012, you stated: �As a foundation member of the NDC I am afraid that the working people, the middle class and particularly the floating voters of Ghana are more discerning of spins to know that an unconstitutional executive judgment by the President purporting to overrule a judgment of the Supreme Court and accompanied by insinuations on the integrity of the Supreme Court and legal profession can never be in �the supreme interest of the people of Ghana.� Chief, your own write-ups have exposed that you never meant your tribute to the Late President. Why do you want to reproach yourself now Sir? Or are you afraid of the spirit of dead persons (ghosts)? Sir, do you still respect the oath of secrecy you took? Or do you think that you got some of the information because of your principles? I guess you got most of your (unnecessary) information by virtue of the privileges of your office. Before I end Sir, let me ask you; are you still a member of the NDC? I ask because, you appear to be worried anytime the Party is making gains and progress, then you come in to cause disaffection. Or is it that you envy this President too? Nana Akufo-Addo was the first to come out on the challenge of corruption but Ghanaians did not hear or read from you. It is also a fact that Nana Akufo-Addo wrote to you when you were the Attorney General to pay some Judgment Debt to Great Cape Company � your silence on this issue has been loud enough in the ears of the Ghanaian. Sir, I am worried about your overly positive attitude towards the Opposition. It is further destroying your reputation as a true member of our great party! If you do not support your Northern brother and leader of your Party to win an election, it is not worth holding onto your membership. I would rather advice that you resign from the NDC and probably join your likes in the NPP. I humbly put it to you that no matter your actions coupled with that of your friends in the NPP, the NDC under President John Mahama (your northern brother) will win the December 2012 election in a straight first round Victory. Yours truly Brogya Genfi (NDC Youth Activist) [email protected]