Majority exposes Mensah Bonsu over Mahama Ford Saga

The Minority Leader in Parliament Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has been exposed by the Majority in Parliament for lying over the recall of Parliament on Mahama Ford gift saga.

The Minority Leader in an interview with Citi FM on August 29, 2016 denied knowledge of the recall of Parliament by the Speaker Hon. Doe Adjaho over the Ford issue.

The Minority has accused President Mahama of engaging in bribery after receiving a Ford Expedition Vehicle from a Burkinabe Contractor.

The Majority Leader Alban Bagbin addressing Journalists today in Accra said claims by the Minority Leader are false and that the former signed the motion in August 3, 2016.

‘The motion is filed and signed by the Minority Leader Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, for and on behalf of Minority Caucus. (We will provide you copies of the motion). It is exceedingly strange to say the least that the Minority Leader had earlier claimed on Accra based Citi FM that he was not aware of the recall of Parliament when he signed the motion that formed the basis for the recall,’ he said.

Mr. Bagbin wondered why the minority would propagate that the recall was meant to impeach President John Dramani Mahama.

‘Nowhere in their motion is there the remotest suggestion of impeachment of the President,’ he asserted.

He accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of showing desperation geared towards throwing dirt at the President Mahama ahead of December 7 elections.

‘It is clear even to the uninitiated that this recall of Parliament and the New Patriotic Party’s strategy that has heralded it has been borne out of clear mischief and a desperate attempt to throw as much dirt at President John Dramani Mahama ahead of the December 7 elections,’ he claimed.

Parliament will be sitting tomorrow to decide whether the matter should be investigated or not based on a prima facie.

Read full statement and Memo signed by the Minority Leader:

PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE MAJORITY CAUCUS OF PARLIAMENT ADDRESSED BY THE MAJORITY LEADER HON. ALBAN S.K. BAGBIN ON WEDNESDAY THE 31ST OF AUGUST, 2016 ON THE RECALL OF PARLIAMENT.

Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen of the press.

We are grateful for your impressive turn out at this press conference which was called at rather short notice. Thank you for coming.

We have convened this press conference to respond to current media discussions and certain erroneous and deliberately misleading impressions created by the NPP Minority around the reasons for the recall of Parliament slated for tomorrow the 1st of September, 2016.

As you may know, this recall of Parliament has been occasioned by the Minority in Parliament invoking Article 112 (3) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 38 (1) of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have only today the 31st of August, 2016 upon returning to Parliament seen the motion submitted to the Right Honourable Speaker as the reason for the recall. We hereby share the content of the motion with you:

The motion is dated August 3, 2016 and reads:

That this Honourable House constitute a special Parliamentary Committee to investigate the following:

Whether the President of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama received a Ford Expedition Vehicle from a Burkinabe Contractor.

Whether the Ford Expedition Vehicle received by the President infringes any law of Ghana

Whether the Ford Expedition Vehicle donated to the President infringes his own code of conduct.

Any other matter relevant to the above subject.

The motion is filed and signed by the Minority Leader Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, for and on behalf of Minority Caucus. (We will provide you copies of the motion). It is exceedingly strange to say the least that the Minority Leader had earlier claimed on Accra based Citi FM that he was not aware of the recall of Parliament when he signed the motion that formed the basis for the recall.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as can be noted from the motion, contrary to the claims being made by members of the minority and their surrogates in the media that this recall of Parliament is to impeach His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, nowhere in their motion is there the remotest suggestion of impeachment of the President.

It is clear even to the uninitiated that this recall of Parliament and the New Patriotic Party’s strategy that has heralded it has been borne out of clear mischief and a desperate attempt to throw as much dirt at President John Dramani Mahama ahead of the December 7 elections.

We need to ask some critical questions on this matter:

Why is the NPP Minority claiming publicly that they seek to impeach the President tomorrow when this is not contained in their motion?

Why is the NPP Minority asking Parliament to investigate a matter which is already being investigated by a constitutionally mandated body – the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice?

Why did the Minority Leader who signed the motion as far back as August 3, 2016 state on Citi FM as recent as this Monday the 29th of August, 2016 that he did not know the reason for the recall and that he was “taken aback” when he heard the news of a recall from the “grapevine” as there had been “no prior consultation” with him? What is the Minority Leader running away from? What is he ashamed of? Ghanaians need to know.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This conduct by the NPP Minority is most certainly a needless waste of scare resources and precious time when Members of Parliament ought to be engaging their constituents.

We wish to assure the good people of Ghana that this notwithstanding, we in the Majority will remain alive to our constitutional responsibilities. We assure all that this unnecessary and obvious distraction will soon be put behind us as we resolve to continue to support President Mahama’s vision of Changing Lives and Transforming Ghana.