Depoliticise bribery scandal - Ablakwa

Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has advised that the latest bribery scandal to hit the Appointments Committee of Parliament be depoliticised.

Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga, stirred controversy on Friday when he alleged that then Energy Minister-designate, Mr. Boakye Agyarko, attempted bribing minority members on the committee after recommendations on his nomination was withheld.

“This is not a matter to be situated within the usual NDC, NPP politics,” he said, adding that politiciSing corruption was the reason why the country had not been successful in fighting the canker.

“When something is wrong, it is wrong. It doesn’t matter if it is NDC or NPP. I am not interested in the partisanship”, the former Deputy Minister of Education told media men in Accra after yesterday’s sitting.

Mr. Ablakwa said it was important to thoroughly investigate the matter to establish the truth so as to redeem what he described as the waning reputation of the legislature.

He said the minority side of the Committee was given the hint of a possible bribery by some NPP members of the Committee.

“I can tell you on authority that there were some NPP MPs who helped us blow the alarm by giving us a hint on where the money was coming from,” he said.

Mr. Ablakwa debunked suggestions that the scandal, which seems to divide the front of the Minority NDC, was an attack on the leadership of Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority leader.

The NDC, he said, had confidence in Mr. Iddrisu and that those inventing such thoughts were attempting to “obfuscate” the issue.

“We have confidence in our leader, he is an inspirational leader and he can lead us for the next four years” he maintained.

He said the Minority leader was aware “at every material time” that the money was given to the minority members and therefore, supported the call for an enquiry into the matter.

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa is one of three people to have petitioned the Speaker to institute a probe into the scandal.

The others are Mahama Ayariga and Alhassan Suhuyini, Tamale North representative.

“We jointly request you to carry out an internal enquiry into the veracity of claims made by us in the allegation of attempted bribery of Minority members on the Appointments Committee of Parliament by a ministerial nominee.

“We, the three Members of Parliament, will subject ourselves fully to the processes of the enquiry” the petition read in part.