North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has mentioned three more NDC MPs whom he says received GH¢3,000 to allegedly influence the minority members on the Appointment Committee to approve a nominee for a ministerial post.
Samuel Ablakwa says Bodi MP Sampson Ahi, Asunafo South MP Eric Opoku and Odododiodoo MP Nii Lante Vanderpuye also returned the money believed to be a bribe from then Energy minister-designate Boakye Agyarko.
The North Tongu MP is one of three MPs demanding a parliamentary inquiry into a bribery saga that gutted the Appointments Committee last Friday. The lead inquirer is Mahama Ayariga who first went public with the allegation that his Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak gave NDC MPs the money which he received from the Chairman of the Committee Joe Osei Owusu.
Joe Osei Owusu who is Bekwai MP and First Deputy Speaker of Parliament is alleged to have received the money from the Energy minister-designate Boakye Agyarko. This narration provided by Mahama Ayariga has been disputed by all three persons he has named in the bribery saga.
Joe Osei Owusu has insisted he has given no money to Muntaka who has said and sworn by Allah, he has given no money to Mahama Ayariga. Muntaka was Ayariga's critical witness. But with his denial, Mahama Ayariga appears isolated in his claim. But in a saga that is increasingly fluid, two other MPs have come to the defence of Ayariga also claiming to have received the money.
Mr. Ablakwa and Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini say they returned the money after realising it was not sitting allowance but an attempt to unduly influence their work on the Appointments Committee which vets ministers-designate.
Speaking on Joy FM Monday, Samuel Ablakwa, referred to the Bible which forbids anyone from bearing false witness against his neighbour. "There are serious consequences" to anyone who does so, he said and insisted his interest is not in politics but in establishing the truth.
"If this matter is becoming murky, muddy water and controversial, then let's look into it" he said.
The North Tongu MP expressed worry that of the three arms of government, the legislature is the most hesitant in dealing with allegations of wrongdoing.
He said in the Executive, ministers have had to resign after they are implicated in wrongdoing. In the Judiciary, some judges lost their jobs after a bribery scandal implicated several High court judges.
Yet in Parliament, several allegations of corruption and bribery have been left unresolved.
Popular examples, he mentioned are a 2008 bribery scandal in which a Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa MP, P.C Appiah-Ofori, claimed MPs received GH¢5,000 to approve the sale of government’s 70% shares in Ghana Telecom to Vodafone.
One of Ghana's most experienced MPs Alban Bagbin also claimed in 2014, MPs are corrupt.
"The reality is that MPs are Ghanaians and there is evidence that some MPs take bribes and come to the floor and try to articulate the views of their sponsors" Alban Bagbin stoked controversy.
In June 2013, ICT and electronics company, RLG offered to build boreholes in each of the 275 constituencies.
It asked interested MPs to indicate on an attached form “the most appropriate town/community the borehole should be sited”. But the offer was described as an immoral attempt to influence MPs after the company's CEO Roland Agambire was linked to a scandal.
Okudzeto says all these scandals were not dealt with exhaustively. He wants the latest controversy to be an exception.
He wants "swift action", "swift investigations " to "restore public confidence" in that arm of government.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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NDC, we should condemn our guys in parliament to stop these crazy things that took us to opposition Ooo. Why won't our front break? Muntaka vrs Ayariga & co? Rawlings vrs Mahama-Asiedu Nketia & co. This Northern vrs Ewe NDC MP dichotomy etc. If we say we want to stop call our communication guys propagandist, let's truly live by it.
So what PC Appiah-Ofori,Martin Amidu said is true,Are they ***barred word***,was Bugri NAABU SAYING THE TRUTH.I DONT TRUST ANY ONE OF THEM.NO PALIAMENTARIAN DESERVESTO BE CALLED HONOURABLE.THEY ARE THE MOST DISHONEST PEOPLE IN GHANA.
Okudzato Ablakwah bring evidence,if you are lying take it from me,you will be impeached. Eric Opoku will go back home for NPP to win that seat and you will go to jail for atrocities done to some people in the B/A. I swear to God if these thi*ves and nation wreckers are not jailed we will never be satisfied. There is no equalization in thi*ving will not help the ndc. Ndc in opposition in 2001-2008 said President Kuffuor has stolen all Gold belonging to Ghana,they said President Kuffuor has twins with a woman but couldn't bring those twins for us to see,they said a whole lot of lies about Kuffuor government just for them to come create,loot and share but it will not work for them again. This Ayariga dog eater accused Seth Terkpeh the former finance minister of neither truthful too much,he wanted the finance minister to lie to Ghanaians and I don't know why such a person was voted by his constituents to represent them.
AGYARKO CASH, EVERYWHERE YOU GO!
Few questions to ask. Did any of the claimants sign any documents which indicate or which will prove they have actually received their part of the purported amount? If they did not, was that the usual case when some sitting allowances are paid them over the counter? As people who are working for a cashless or near cashless society, what is their take on paying allowances of such nature if any, over the counter instead of through the banking system?
This lie wont wash. It wont stop the government of the day from delving into NDC corrupt deeds. NDC corrupt deeds will be tabled with documentary evidence.
Mr President the Messiah, your first test case. The nation Ghana and indeed the world is watching you!!!