Professor Adei made a sweeping and unguarded statement about MPs Period!!!
By Alhaji Alhasan Abdulai
Members of Parliament are considered men of honor that is why they are credited with the title “honorable”. Their duties as representatives of the people give them the power for oversight roles over the executive arm of government. They do scrutinize loan agreements, existing laws and work on bills emanating from the executive arm of government for passage into laws. Sometimes they travel out of Accra to other parts of Ghana to perform their duties. In spite of their standing in governance, their credibility is being questioned. No less a person than professor Stephen Adei says that most of them are corrupt. Coming soon after the Ana’s expose on our nation’s judges some members of the legislature are peeved with one of them Hon. George Loh Member of Parliament for North Dayi coming out to condemn the statement and questioning the Professor Adei’s credential as an academic. I agree perfectly with the MP because the statement by professor Adei that 80 per cent of members of parliament are corrupt was not based on any known empirical evidence from a research. If the findings of the professor are scientific the professor is yet to show it to the public. As a former rector of Ghana Institute of Management of Public Administration (GIMPA) he is supposed to know better the need to use acceptable scientific methods to come to the conclusion that MP are corrupt people who demand bribes for performing their duties to the extent of collecting items like computers for their girl friends . Where are the facts, Professor Adei, please lay them before the public otherwise come out to render an unqualified apology to all our MPs.
George Loh criticized Prof. Adei’s bases for making such claim arguing that “If you are not saying that you have experienced it but somebody has told you that, is it enough grounds for you to go out in the public and say what you are saying to denigrate honorable members of this country including the speaker?”
George Loh is not the only Member of Parliament who is peeved over the comment of Professor Adei; Mr. K T Hammond Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa has threatened to drag professor Adei to the privileges committee of parliament. But the North Dayi Member of Parliament George Loh speaking to Citi FM does not think that the statement by Professor Adei merits him being dragged to the privileges committee.
The MP said “I get the impression that some of these people are looking for cheap popularity and in that respect, I don’t want to give the honor of making them popular. They are buying popularity through the back door and if you ask me personally, I will ignore him and treat him with the contempt he deserves.”
I seem to agree with Hon George Loh however it is important for parliament to make a statement over this issue to be placed on record. This will deter other people from making sweeping statement on the work of the legislature and other arms of government that deserve honor and respect from the people
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