Martin Amidu has wrong mindset about SP Office – Tamale North MP

Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North, Suhuyini Alhassan Sayibu, has cast doubt over the ability of Special Prosecutor (SP) Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu, to effect significant change in the fight against corruption.

Martin Amidu, he argued, did not appear to go to office of Special Prosecutor with the right mindset to make a difference in the fight against corruption.

He stated, “I believe he qualified for the position and has all it takes to occupy the SP office but I don’t think he went to that office with the right mindset for the fight against corruption.”

Suhuyini Alhassan who made this observation on TV3’s Saturday political talk show, The Key Points, indicated issues that emerged during the vetting of Martin Amidu and his pronouncements have waned his confidence in the SP.

According to him, commentaries that preceded promotion of the bill and its passage and appointment of Martin Amidu convinced him the SP is going to suffer because the motive for setting up the office was not nationalist in character.

Narratives about the bill and setting up of the SP office, he said, did not engender national acceptability if indeed the aim was to get everybody to contribute to the corruption fight.

“There was no need to create a certain impression that the office was created to target some people, especially people from the previous administration.”

“That is why the Special Prosecutor is under pressure today to perform because of the level of expectation created.”

“You hear lot of NPP sympathizers and government officials complaining that Martin Amidu is not living up to expectations.”

“Through these criticisms, Martin Amidu had to throw his hands up at some point to complain about not having enough resources. So quickly, maybe to further the perceptions, resources were provided and told to get to work like some bulldog.”

“And when the resources were provided and action was not coming, you again heard the commentaries that he is not doing anything.” “It feeds into that perception, deliberate or not, but these actions and inactions contribute to the perception that this is not an institution really set up to contribute to the fight against corruption generally.”

The Tamale North MP questioned whether it would be fair to tag Martin Amidu as corrupt after revelations that officers under him have allegedly engaged in corrupt fuel deals.

“You can forgive me if I ask that question.”

“If somebody was President and anything that happened under him Martin Amidu thought was sanctioned by him, then the question I ask is when he is in charge of a small office and not a nation and similar infractions occur, is it fair to assume he is also corrupt,” he queried?

Alhassan Suhuyini observed the SP appears to be pursuing personal vendetta in the first case he has sent to court involving Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central.

He noted that to make claims millions of dollars has been embezzled under the previous government and then be given opportunity as SP, and the first case that goes to court occurred in 2017 is an anti-climax.

According to him, he feels vindicated by what is happening in the office of the Special Prosecutor though he does not feel happy about it.