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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.