The Interior Minister designate Martin Amidu has dismissed the use of weapons as the solution to the long raging conflict in Dagbon. He was taking his turn before the Vetting Committee of parliament today, Wednesday, February 10.
The Interior Minister designate said encouraging dialogue between the two feuding factions may be the long term solution to the problem.
Mr. Amidu also answered questions from the Committee on issues affecting the Police service. On the issue of police personnel accommodation, he disclosed that he will make a strong case at
Cabinet meetings on the need to house the Police properly and called on parliament to assist him address the issue when he is approved as Interior Minister.
He also commended the police for interdicting the four police men who were arrested recently for extorting money from drivers saying “the police administration under the current IGP has done the right thing by interdicting them because nobody should tolerate corruption in any institution within the government let alone in the Police service”.
Act 23 of the Police service employs all of us to report police people for bribery, corruption and intimidation and many others, the problem is that many people don’t take advantage of it”, he noted.
He therefore urged that “if investigation proof that these people are culpable, they should be prosecuted to set as example for other police officer who may be tempted to emulate their bad examples”.
Early on, he was quizzed by some members of the vetting committee over his tax obligations. This ended in a heated debate between the parties involved. After the back and forth squabbling it was agreed that the issue be addressed later by the committee. “I never practiced but I paid my tax in 2009. In 2008, I had registered my firm and accordingly informed the VAT office and the Internal Revenue Service so I was provisionally not entitled to TAX.”
Meanwhile the Employment and Social Welfare Minister- designate, E.T Mensah has downplayed assertions that his nomination is a strategy by government to secure employment for NDC foot soldiers and activists. The Ningo Prampram MP was the first to be vetted by the vetting committee of parliament on Wednesday.
Responding to questions from the members on the committee, E.T Mensah said assertions that he is being sent to the ministry specifically to secure jobs for NDC faithful are untrue.
“That perception is false.
When you look at the terms of reference of the minister of employment and social welfare, there are no jobs there that anybody can just go and give out.
Besides when you are made a minister, you are minister of state not a minister of NDC so what ever role that you are assign to play, you look at the nation as a whole and then perform your functions along these lines.” He said
Source: Citifmonline.com
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