Presby Church Buries Jake

As Over Bungalow Mensah Otabil, Palmer-Buckle & Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference Go Into Hiding

By Cecil Mensah

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana must be heeding the admonishment of the Irish political philosopher and statesman, Edmund Burke, who said, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”, when he descended heavily on the Supreme Court and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, condemning the latter for buying his duty post during his tenure as Minister of State.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey served as Minister of Tourism, Modernization and Beautification of the capital city under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration led by Mr. J.A Kufuor; he is now the National Chairman of the NPP.

According to Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey, the purchase of the bungalow by the NPP Chairman is unpatriotic and selfish as it lacks moral values and is an evidence of intentional dissipation of national assets by politicians and their cronies.

To him the conduct of the NPP National Chairman, is like he (moderator) doing the unthinkable by buying the residence of the Moderator of the Presby Church at Kuku Hill -Osu, a suburb in Accra, after his tenure as head of the church.

Rev. Prof Martey, so far appears to be the only bold clergyman who has spoken against the corrupt acquisition of state houses and plush lands by Kufuor and his men. Other hitherto politically vocal men of God like Pastor Dr. Mensah Otabil, the Catholic Archbishop of Accra, Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle and the entire Ghana Catholic Bishops conference have gone dead silent.

The soft-spoken leader of the Presbyterian Church condemned the NPP chairman on Okay FM, an Accra-based radio station in reaction to the controversial Supreme Court’s decision to allow the ex-Minister of Tourism and Beautification of the Capital City to acquire the state bungalow in the face of the huge shortage of houses for both public and civil servants.

Two Deputy Ministers in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), namely; Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Information and Dr. Omane Boamah, Youth and Sports took the intended purchase of the government bungalow to the Supreme Court to have the transaction annulled as it was tainted with corruption, conflict of interest and above all immoral.

But the Supreme Court threw them out on the basis that they could not prove the corruption and conflict of interest claims against Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey, therefore the Lands Commission must sign off the bungalow to the ex-minister who had claims he had paid US$400.000 for the said bungalow which he intend to pull down and construct flats for rentals.

But Rev. Prof. Martey opined that if the first generation politicians of this country had sold all government properties to themselves and their cronies, what would have been left for the current generation of politicians to also buy.

He said it would be unimaginable on his part as the Moderator of the Presby Church to opt to purchase the duty post he is currently occupying at Kuku Hill -Osu, a suburb in Accra, the very moment his tenure expires as a Moderator of the church.

“This is immoral and must not be allowed to happen in the name of politics in the country,” said Rev. Prof Martey, who quoted the Bible, specifically the book of Proverbs, saying “All Things are Lawful But not all Things are Helpful”.

When quizzed on whether he would support the enactment of laws to prevent public officials from buying government properties, the Presby Moderator emphatically noted that “if people are abusing their offices to amass wealth then there is a need for such laws to be enacted”.

He, however that added “a law without force is impotent just as force without law leads to anarchy, yes it is necessary to enact laws to prevent people from doing so”. According to him “if there are some people who do not use their conscience while in public office then there is the need for such for laws to be enacted to redeem and protect that which belongs to the people of Ghana”.

The Moderator was obviously worried about this trend of the new generation of politicians using their office to amass wealth, saying it is unpatriotic and indicative of people who do not think of the vast majority of Ghanaians.

In apparent reference to presidents demanding that houses be built for them at their chosen locations, them as part of their retirement package, Rev. Prof Martey said he would object to his church building a house for him as part of his end of service benefit, as he is fully aware that the church is cash strapped.