Cadres condemn attacks on Martin Amidu

The Tema Regional Branch of the United Cadres Front of Ghana (UCF-GHANA) has condemned the unwarranted attacks on Mr Martin Amidu, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

A statement signed by Mr Edward Aganaboya Mba, the Acting Chairman of the Tema Regional Branch of the UCF-Ghana, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said Mr Martin Amidu had been vilified for his comment on issues concerning the Electoral Commission constituting a body known as "Steering Committee for Election 2016 ".

“These developments which are emanating from the former chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Peter Mac Manu and its appendages is rather surprising to us, as regards to the independent thoughts and conviction of Comrade Amidu.

“We are indeed surprised, because the Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) and the Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG), the appendages being referred to – were the same organs which saw Mr Martin Amidu, (rightly so) the hero of our time in his advocacy in the fight against corruption and injustice,” it said.

“Having known Mr Martin Amidu since the days of the 31st December Revolution, he has not changed in his resolve to fight the canker and other vices in society.

“His post-revolutionary loner in the war against corruption and injustice has been well recorded since the National Democratic Congress resumed leadership of this country, the Woyome case being the most visible,” the statement said.

It said the LMVCA and AFAG were full of praise and gave him support for his bravery; which the Cadres equally subscribe to even though they may sometimes have differences with his style of approach.

“However, we are shocked at the attitude of these same organs of the NPP when they turn their guns on him just because this time around, he has differed in opinion over the attacks on the chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Charlotte Osei.

“We are especially taken aback, when his critique was based on objective analyses on the constitutionality of persons appointed to serve on state institutions who may one way or the other belong to political parties.

“In addition to his position on the issue, Mr Martin Amidu, stated that there is no constitutional puncturing in what the EC did, conceded that the EC should have still done a thorough back-ground checks on the persons from the institutions so-nominated, in order to have avoided the un-necessary backlash it has suffered based on partisan reasoning,” it stated.

The statement said it is trite of capture, that the NPP and its surrogates had problems with the Eminent Persons the EC appointed to delve into the party's petition on their allegation of a bloated voters register loaded with foreigners.

It said: “They brushed a number of them of having sympathy for the NDC. But, surprisingly, the same party made reference to good recommendations by the body they tagged as unfit, which they claimed the EC refused to act on. So, does it means that Ghanaians can have partisan political colours and still work with objectivity?”

It said the UCF-Ghana wish to caution all politicians that they do not own Ghana and Ghanaians ought to stand up and condemn the unpatriotic posturing of these politicians and tell them the country would not die because of their desire for power – not leadership.

It recounted The Chronicle of September 5, 2006, that in the heat of the cocaine scandals (when partisan politics was introduced to it in 2006), Mr Amidu made this wise counsel to the NPP which is still relevant in the context of this comment and the reference goes thus: “I suppose the NPP has already learnt what we say in opposition, could haunt us one day in government. The interest of this nation requires that government and opposition be in constant consultation and not in perpetual conflict.

“The NPP has tried confrontation for six years, it has not worked. Why not try consultation and consensus building for the remaining half year,” it said.