Barton Odro was not appointed minister because of Woyome - Kweku Baako

Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr. has disclosed that the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ebo Barton Odro was not given a ministerial appointment because of his involvement in the Woyome saga.

“It was because of the Woyome case that is why he didn’t get any ministerial position. By then, they didn’t even know that the opposition or the minority will not be taking part in the vetting procedures,” he disclosed.

This comment follows numerous calls for the former Deputy Attorney General to resign from his current position in Parliament due to his remarks that ‘the state had no case to defend when Woyome was sued.

The Supreme Court by a unanimous decision, ordered businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome to refund the Ghc51.2million given to him by the state.

According to the eleven-member panel led by Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, who presided over the case, Woyome got the money out of an invalid and unconstitutional contract.

Despite the Supreme Court (SC) ruling, Barton Odro, currently First Deputy Speaker of Parliament was quoted as saying on a local radio station in Cape Coast, that: “I still stand by what I said that the state had a bad case.”

Due to the 'unrepentant' position of Barton Odro, many have asked him to resign.

According to Kweku Baako Jnr., Barton Odro would have done himself a favour by keeping quiet and not responding to the SC ruling.

He said the former Deputy Attorney-General’s position in Parliament even gives a bad name to the House (Parliament) because he supported or is still supporting a case the SC has ruled as unconstitutional.

Kweku Baako Jnr. went on further to disclose that President John Dramani Mahama could have given Barton Odro a ministerial appointment in 2012; when he was elected into office but due to the 'Woyome saga' he was given a ‘consolation position’ in Parliament as the First Deputy Speaker.

“He was not appointed because the Woyome issue had scandalised him, and that is the truth...they found a compromise in Parliament which I found it very wrong because it was not good for parliamentary image…so you would expect him to exercise a certain level of discretion considering the role he played in the saga; imposing a code of silence on himself. I am not sure as a former Deputy Attorney General or as a first Deputy Speaker of Parliament, it was appropriate for him to say that as far as he is concerned the state has no case against Woyome. Fundamentally, he is supposed to keep quiet,” Kweku Baako Jnr. indicated contributing to a panel discussion on Kokrokoo.