Former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Martin A.B.K. Amidu says people are fed up with ‘lies’ churned out by the Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The former AG also descended heavily on Ablakwa over what he described as the deputy information minister’s attempts at undermining the power of substantive information ministers he had worked under, particularly the immediate past minister, John Tia Akologo.
Mr Amidu, speaking on Accra-based radio station, Oman FM stated that the actions of Mr Ablakwa were creating a negative impact on the NDC as well as the electoral fortunes of the ruling party.
According to Mr Amidu, the Deputy Information Minister had called him to plead that Isofoton SA should be paid $1.3 million that they claimed was due them.
The former AG said he turned down the request because the matter was pending before court.
Although the Deputy Information Minister who also spoke to Oman FM admitted calling Mr. Amidu on phone, he however denied portions of the former AG’s submission that he pleaded with him to authorize payment to Isofoton.
Nevertheless the anti-corruption crusader said it was wrong for the Deputy Information Minister to have called him over the matter without referring it to his (Ablakwa) boss (Minister of Information) at the time, John Tia Akologo.
“Mr. Okudzeto is a young man, and he should take upon himself responsibilities befitting a deputy Minister and not to be usurping positions of substantive Ministers…when John Tia was there, he rendered him virtually useless,” Mr Amidu said.
Although Mr. Ablakwa was wrong to have withheld the subject matter in question from me during his time at the Information Ministry, it would be wrong to say that he undermined my authority. My relationship with Okudzeto and Agyenim Boateng was very excellent, the former information minister told Citi Fm.
“They respected me, they came to my office each time I called them and even on their own they’d come and say that Minister, we think A, B C and so on.
“We had very good relationship so I wouldn’t have known that there were acts that were taking place.” “I never saw any issue of any judgment debt on my table. They are obliged after I have delegated powers to them to brief or apprise me. If they act or do something on my behalf or should any deputy act on behalf of their ministers, they should be able to apprise the Minister because he as the Minister takes the ultimate responsibility for anything.”
Ablakwa claimed he only intervened when the Isofoton people brought a petition to the Minister, John Tia, who was not present at the time.
However, instead of informing his boss, he kept it away and called Mr Amidu to impress on him to authorize the payment of money to the Spanish company.**
