We don't agree with CHRAJ - Nasara Club

Accra, Sept. 22, GNA - The Nasara Club of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Friday said it disagreed with the recommendations of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) that Dr Richard Anane, Road Transportation Minister should be relieved of his post. Nana Ko fi Agyekum, an activist of the Club, told a press conference in Accra that they did not agree with the recommendations because CHRAJ had acted as a court rather than an entity that had been set up to protect the rights of citizens.

"CHRAJ as established by law is to protect individual rights and where there may be possible abuse of State power it may act as a facilitator to ensure that individual rights are protected," Nana Agyekum indicated.

The press conference was attended by members of the Nasara Club and their National Executives, including Alhaji Fuseni Maiga, National Chairman and Mr Omar Hamidu, National Youth Secretary. Nana Agyekum, who spoke on behalf of the Club, said CHRAJ, instead of investigating the issue, rather tried Dr Anane and "gave judgment over him to be sacked by the President".

He questioned the three reasons given by CHRAJ - conflict of interest, abuse of office, and perjury - and said those reasons should be well defined to know "if Dr Anane really benefited personally in the course of initiating the transactions".

The Club said CHRAJ had overstepped its boundaries to indict Dr Anane on charges they had no proof whatsoever.

The Club said the members did not see where Dr Anane had committed conflict of interest with its corresponding act of abuse of office. Alhaji Maiga appealed to Ghanaians, particularly media personnel, to remain calm and wait patiently for the final decision of President John Agyekum Kufuor over the recommendations.

He said the issue involving Dr Anane borders on morality and not on any corrupt practices.

"Even if Dr Anane has sinned, it rests with President Kufuor, who employed him to take the final decision on him and not media commentators, who are making lots of hullabaloo on the airwaves," Alhaji Maiga said.

CHRAJ on Friday recommended to President Kufuor to dismiss Dr Anane following findings of abuse of power; conflict of interest and perjury made against him by the Commission. The Commission arrived at the decision following an 18-month investigations it conducted into alleged corruption, conflict of interest and abuse of power made against Dr Anane, who is also MP for Nhyiaso, when he was the Minister of Health. The ruling of the Commission, read by Ms Anna Bossman, Acting Commissioner of CHRAJ, cleared the Minister of the allegation of corruption for lack of evidence. It made findings of abuse of power; conflict of interest and perjury against the Minister. The Commission recommended that Dr Anane apologised to the President, the Government of Ghana, Parliament and the people of Ghana. The Commission also recommended that public office holders and Government appointees should undergo a course in conflict of interest and that special assistants should be paid from the Consolidated Fund if that position should be maintained. It also called for the upgrading of the laws if the Government policy of zero tolerance on corruption should work. 22 Sept. 06