Why waste time “fighting” Rev. Martey?

By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor

Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016

Folks, I don’t see any reason why any NDC member or government functionary should lock horns with the rev. Emmanuel Martey (outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the National peace Council) regarding his allegation that some politicians (or is it now a politician?) has attempted bribing him with $100,000.00, a V8 vehicle, and a Trassaco a house containing including state-of-the-art amenities such as a swimming pool.

Insisting that he rejected the offer and threw out the politician(s), Rev. Martey has been in the news over the past few days with the loud claim that he won’t allow himself to be bought by any politician, and thereby, gagged. He has insisted at several times thereafter that her will continue to condemn the government s far as governance is concerned, especially in regard to how the tax-payers’ money is spent.

Rev. Martey is on record as having isolated the government and those he called “babies with sharp teeth” as the target of his venomous rhetoric; and he has attracted a wide public interest as well.

The NDC has already taken him on, either repudiating his claim or challenging him to name the particular politician(s) who attempted bribing him. He hasn’t been able to do so thus far, even though, a news report today suggested that he has named that person. Nothing in that news report proved so. Instead, it is all a matter of Rev. Martey himself will mention the name(s) if he chooses to do so at the appropriate time.

That is the context within which I want to raise my viewpoints. I note here that Rev. Martey has given me enough material with which to portray him as a “crooked clergyman”, regardless of whatever he has accomplished as a “Man-of-God” or in whatever capacity. The loopholes in his allegation and his inability to substantiate that allegation constitute one part of my description of him as such. I will explain it soon.

Then, the counter-allegation made against him by the former PRO of the Church (Dr. Emmanuel Osei Acheampong), who insists that Prof. Martey took the money and the vehicle offered by the politician, has thrown open the controversy. As the former PRO put it: “In July 28, 2013, around 8:15pm, he (Prof. Martey) invited me to the office of one of the leading opposition parties not the ruling government, when I got there he had received the 100,000 dollars and a V8 he is claiming to have rejected. And he gave me 50,000 dollars, I am speaking on authority that he received the money,” he said on Kasapa FM.

Again, the fact that Prof. Martey hasn’t so far reacted to the counter-allegation by the former PRO raises eyebrows. Attempts by the current PRO (George Larbi ) to cast doubts on the integrity of Dr. Osei can at best be dismissed as a damage-control gone awry. It is this same Dr. Osei who has shot his mouth to say that Prof. Martey has named the culprit when, indeed, he hasn’t done so.

Now, let’s tease out the intricate aspects of the matter. Prof. Martey came out with his allegation without giving us anything definitive about when that bribery attempt was made. All he said was that the event happened in his house and that he would have unleashed his “dogs” on the person attempting to bribe him. Fair enough, but some questions for him: How long ago did that event happen?

Whom did he discuss it with? Why didn’t he go forward to report the alleged bribe-giver to the law enforcement agencies, knowing very well how fighting corruption has been at the forefront of public concerns regarding governance? And why come out now to tell us about that event without naming or shaming the attempted bribe-giver?

The fact that the former PRO is indignant in his counter-allegation is also crucial to any attempt at unpacking what Prof. Martey is in the news for. According to him, it was any NDC member or government functionary who approached Prof. Martey. Instead, the outgoing Moderator invited him (the ex-PRO) to the office of “one of the leading opposition parties” and even went ahead to give him (the ex-PRO) $50,000.00, which he rejected.

As to why he rejected the offer, he hasn’t told us; but he is adamantly alleging that he was dismissed for reasons traceable to that event. Should we say that the former PRO has come out this way because he has a bone to pick with Prof. Martey? If so, why isn’t Prof. Martey reacting to his counter-claim, which an NDC MP has also reinforced? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!

From what has unfolded so far and their implications, I won’t lose any sleep over Prof. Martey’s effusions. Those who have rushed to pit him against the government have their own designs and should be left to their intrigues. And to imagine that this very Prof. Martey has anything to do with the so-called Ghana Peace Council makes his matter more politically ridiculous. As is to be expected, those known for their own version of “politics-in-cassock” and casuistry are rushing to back him up. Talk about the Christian Council of Ghana and a rev. Opuni-Mensah, and you are there!!

It is pointless for operatives of the NDC and the government to engage Prof. Martey in any wordy warfare over his allegation because he knows what he seeks to accomplish. And if these NDC and government functionaries haven’t forgotten the timely advice given them recently by ex-President Rawlings, they should know that descending into the gutters with such a person will not add any political capital to their cause. It will rather muddy the water and give their political opponents some lifeline, especially at the time that their gushing out of “huhudious” promises has made them a laughing stock.

Why not leave Prof. Martey and his political designs to himself and his backers? Let them stew in their own kind of political mischief. Clearly, they are good at doing what Prof. Martey has set in motion. It is their trump-card to play. Anybody who knows how comfortable these people are in this kind of political sophistry should not fall for their intrigues.

I shall return…

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