It’s such a pity when opportunism overtakes principle. The minority leader in
parliament, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu continues to abuse his position by putting
politics above country and behaving like a student politician.
In a time like this, when there is a growing collapse of trust in politics; when the
public is appalled because millions of their tax monies are disappearing into
corporate and personal bank accounts because of judgment debts, to try and blame
Hon. Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu and the NDC government is frankly pathetic.
The minority leader in parliament ought to resign from the opposition frontbench
since he is unwilling to uphold the legislative oath he took. He is not providing
constructive opposition to government, and clearly isn't showing signs of being
sound, nor tactful.
When the Mills government came into office in 2009, Kyei Mensah Bonsu and his
colleagues embarked on a campaign of peddling falsehood to tarnish the image of the
government and the ruling party.
One of the biggest lies they peddled in 2009 was that, security operatives had
undressed Mr. George Owusu of KOSMOS in front of his family. They held a press
conference and made a lot of noises. It turned out to be a complete fabrication,
calculated at discrediting the government of the day.
It is no longer surprising when the NPP organizes press conferences ostensibly to
score cheap political points and malign government officials, but I find it tragic,
that the opposition, led by the minority leader, would abuse the former
Attorney-General and call for her resignation over the now infamous Wayome saga
based on assumptions and disregard for the facts.
Is this what Kyei Mensah Bonsu’s minority leadership has been reduced to? Abusing a
woman who worked hard to save her country millions in claims? For the difficult job
that Betty did for her country, the minority wants her crucified because she
followed the law. There is no basis, no logic, no sense or rationality to their
calls for Betty’s crucifixion.
It is crucial to point out that, a document dated 25th March 2010 from the ministry
of finance clearly stated that, in their expert view, Alfred Wayome’s claim of two
percent is “deemed legitimate.” It is therefore sad, when the minority wants the
world to believe Madam Betty Mould sat in her office and decided, without broader
consultations with experts in and out of her ministry to award Wayome his claim.
The minority should back off the campaign of disinformation. Fact is, the NPP
government, awarded a contract to Shangai Construction Group, against the
procurement laws of Ghana; against the explicit advice of the then Minister of
Education and Sports, Yaw Osafo Marfo, who told cabinet in a memo dated 27th July
2005 that:
(a) The Shangai Group did not submit any bid by 7th February, 2005 to be
considered by the Evaluation Committee
(b) The Shangain Group expects the Government of Ghana to provide direct funding
which served as basis for rejecting other firms who could not attract funding even
though these firms could be very competitive.
(c) The Procurement Act makes it difficult to admit the Shangai Group, given that
several firms who did not meet the financial requirement were not shortlisted. Some
of the firms shortlisted have also been declared not wholly responsive because of
their financial terms.
Between Betty Mould Iddrisu and President Kufour and his cabinet, who could have
been more negligent, fraudulent and irresponsible? President Kufour demanded that a
bidding process be truncated and contract awarded to the Shangai Construction
Group. If the minority wants a typical example of recklessness, negligence and
fraud, they should not look beyond President Kufour who presided over an orgy of
recklessness and complete disregard for the laws.
The NPP had at least three years to sort out the mess from the Wayome saga; it was
they, who flouted the Procurement Act and abrogated a contract; it was the NPP whose
Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpianim committed the country to paying compensation. They
had no excuse for not cleaning up the mess; they had three years and they dithered
and failed to provide leadership.
The leader of the opposition in parliament should know that posing as a guardian of
probity in public finances in the face of all the evidence of neglect and
recklessness by his party when they were in government smacks of
organized-hypocrisy.
How much did parliament vote for as budget for the Ghana @50 celebrations, how much
did parliament vote for as budget for the Presidential palace and how much did they
spend on these projects?
The minority and their friends are demonstrating that there are powerful men who
still hate the sight of a successful and independent woman. I don’t want to
antagonize anyone, but Hon. Kyei Mensah Bonsu should resign from the minority
frontbench.
Act 458 of 1993, the Act establishing the law on causing financial law to the state
must stay. The law should stay and whoever may have been reckless, be they NPP or
NDC members must be made to account for their negligence.
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Ras Mubarak,
NDC Parliamentary Candidate for
Ablekuma North Constituency
Accra, Ghana
+233 24 4478 267
+233 26 6741 864
www.rasmubarak.com
skype.com/ras.mubarak
