Ghanaians should ignore the findings of the Joe Ghartey Committee in the saga involving allegations of bribery against the leadership of parliament’s Appointments Committee by Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga, Listowel Nana Poku, a freelance journalist, has urged.
Mr Ayariga had alleged that Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, prior to his approval by parliament, had attempted to get Minority MPs on the Appointments Committee to approve his nomination by offering each of them a bribe of GHS3000, using First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu and Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed as conduits – a claim the two lawmakers denied when they appeared before the Ghartey Committee.
The Ghartey Committee, which submitted its report to parliament on Wednesday March 29, said Mr Ayariga’s conduct was in contempt of parliament.
But Mr Poku, who has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to look into the allegation, arguing that parliament was unfit to probe an allegation made against it, rejected the findings of the Ghartey Committee.
In an interview on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM, Mr Poku said Thursday was a “sad” day for Ghana for which there should have been a “funeral” today, Friday March 31, saying the outcome of the probe was “exactly” what he had predicted when the Ghartey Committee was set up to look into the matter.
He was insistent that there was some truth in the allegation but parliament was insistent on “sweeping the truth under the carpet”, a position betrayed by comments by Kate Addo, parliament’s Director of Public Affairs, who initially described the allegations as “frivolous”.
“Everyone in parliament knows something went on. As to whether what Mr Ayariga said was the truth or half-truth, that was why we needed an independent body outside of parliament with no interest in the matter, which is not biased or whose reputation will not be sullied with the findings it makes [to probe the matter],” he insisted.
“So it [parliament] cannot probe the matter, because its image has been tarnished in the matter…so even if parliament had come out with a contrary view I would still have gone on a strike; its integrity has been hit in the saga.
“Having been accused of bribery, parliament has turned itself into a prosecutor and judge in a case against it and ruled itself blameless, pronouncing Ghana guilty.
“It is based on that that I tell Ghanaians to hold on to the hope that CHRAJ will do a good job. What parliament did is baseless; it’s as frivolous as its initial comments on the matter, it’s vexatious and it should be disregarded. That committee report should be disregarded by Ghanaians.”
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
