Re: Akim Swedru delegates on payroll

I read with dismay the highly irresponsible, populist, politricks, propagandist and inflammatory comment by Mr. Edward Abambire Bawa, MP for Bongo Constituency in the Upper East Region, in which he accused the Controller and Accountants General, Mr. Kwesi Kwaning Bosompem, of placing NPP delegates in Akim Swedru Constituency on payroll for the past 2 years or so during TV3's Big Issues panel discussions in the morning of Saturday, December 9, 2023.

His comment impugns vote buying and electoral corruption on the part of Mr. Bosompem.

As much as such a comment is to be treated with the highest contempt it deserves, it is also important to put it on record that no delegate in our cherished Constituency is on any salary payroll or receives any monthly income from Mr. Bosompem. The big question is how possible can he place delegates on a payroll.

This comment is absurd and totally a serious character assassination on the persona and professional integrity of Mr. Bosompem and by extension, the institution of the Controller and Accountants General Department as a whole.

Such irresponsible comment ought not to have come from a sitting MP who should know by his position and dealings with government agencies that Mr. Bosompem cannot in any way put delegates on payroll contrary to the institution, processes, and systems that one goes through to earn salary from government payroll.

What further worsens his porous and poisonous political comment is when he referred to the Akim Swedru Constituency being located in the Central Region. If he is forthright with his thought of reasoning, he should have known that no Akim community is located in the Central Region.

The fallible nature of his comment clearly shows the caliber of Mr. Bawa as a worthy representative of the good people of Bongo. No wonder the NDC and the people of his Constituency have 100% rejected him towards the 2024 parliamentary elections because people want to hear leaders who speak about development, bread and butter, and effective public service delivery systems not those in the business of destroying people’s integrity.

If the MP is worthy and credible with his comment, he should have told Ghanaians where he read his comment so we all can see the factual competence of his discussion.

It is on record that Mr. Kwaning Bosompem has publicly declared his intent to contest the NPP Parliamentary primaries come January 20, 2024, but the least he would do is to place delegates on payroll simply because he is the Controller and Accountants General.

He knows and practices the dictates of the Public Financial Management Act, Act 2016, and the PFM Regulations 2019 which guide his profession and character as a seasoned civil and public servant rising through the ranks across agencies to reach his current position. He will therefore not go contrary to the laws of Ghana simply because he wants to contest in parliamentary primary elections.

We dedicated supporters of Mr. Bosompem’s development-focused course who believe that our Constituency is in dire need of professional public servants and other technocrats with the credibility and network to drive the new positive agenda for inclusive and responsive development, will therefore not countenance such comments that tend to ridicule our leader and place him against public scorn.

We know in recent times that certain elements have been making all sorts of allegations against the intentions of Mr. Bosompem just to malign him so they can continue to prosecute their backward-driven political agenda in the constituency and Mr. Bawa’s attribution is one of such ploys.

I call on delegates of my constituency to remain focused and dedicated to the new agenda for inclusive and responsive development. The era of social media Parliamentary representation is over so that we can be business-minded in using the political position as a game changer for value creation and community development and not as an avenue to spew derogatory comments to dent the hard work and positive direction of others for political convenience.

Hon Bawa, let me advise you to leave delegates of Akim Swedru alone so that they can be mindful of their economic activities to be in the greatest opportunity to also provide for the needs of their community in the constituency.