On Monday, July 6, parliamentary debate on the $535 million World Bank loan had to be suspended when the NPP MPs walked out when an NDC MP reiterated accusation that NPP MPs took $5,000 'incentive package' each last year to approve the Vodafone takeover of Ghana Telecom.
Now, the NPP MPs have stated that they will continue to boycott the legislative functions of the House until the issue of the bribery allegations are dealt with and their names cleared. The Majority Leader has responded by describing the decision as unfortunate and hoped that it was not an 'unpatriotic' act on the part of the Minority to frustrate the receipt of the loan which is crucial to government programmes.
The Statesmandoes not believe that the Minority is using the PC Appiah Ofori allegation as an excuse to get the NDC government to fail. Indeed, the NPP should not think that it can only come to power if NDC fails. If that was the case then Mills would not have been President today because President Kufuor did a lot for Ghanaians.
We hope that the NPP MPs will quickly bring this matter to an end, with the support of the Parliamentary leadership and go back to participate not only in proceedings but in voting as well. However, we believe this offered an opportunity for the Minority to show that this Parliament, with a slim majority, should not be allowed to continue their culture of Majority having its way after Minority has had its say.
The MP for Sene, Twumasi Appiah certainly provoked the walk-out after introducing the allegation on the floor of the House. But, we don't think he did a lot wrong, especially when he was prepared to retract.
The actual damage had already been caused by NPP MP P C Appiah-Ofori.
The MP for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, P.C. Appiah-Ofori, confirms he told the ministerial committee investigating the Vodafone deal that his colleagues on the NPP side in 2008 received $5,000 each from the Chief of Staff at the time for voting for Vodafone’s 75% takeover of Ghana Telecom.
Called to substantiate this serious allegation on radio stations on Monday, the renegade MP could only mention NDC MP Doe Adjaho as his source. P C Appiah-Ofori has over the years won many friends for his independence. He has not been afraid to accuse his party or the Kufuor government, where he felt the need to do so.
He has made himself an anti-corruption crusader and his party has endured some of his seemingly embarrassing statements against his party. But, since his views were seen as loyalty to Ghana, even if at the inconvenience of his party, he'd always been forgiven and his continuous stay in the NPP has also reaffirmed the party's commitment to democratic values such as tolerance and free speech.
But, we believe this allegation is just too serious to be left hanging. PC Appiah Ofori must do well to prove this allegation. The party should undertake its own inquiry into it. And, if the MP is not able to substantiate this allegation, we believe he should resign honourably from the party or be sacked from it. The allegations are simply too serious. And, the necessary action must be taken for the sake of our Parliamentary democracy.
PC may be popular in his constituency but we do not believe that the fear of losing that seat should be a factor over principle when the NPP comes to consider this issue.
We of The Statesman will continue to support PC's legitimate crusade against corruption but we believe it gives him or no one the licence to make such a serious allegation against Parliamentarians if they are shown to be false.
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