General News of Saturday, 11 January 2014

Source: peacefmonline.com

NDC is gradually legalizing corruption in Ghana - MP

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu is skeptical about government's ability to win the fight against corruption.

As many, including the Clergy are crying for the total eradication of the canker, the NPP MP believes it is also incumbent on parliamentarians to join in the fight. He added that Parliament does not exist only to check the Executive and make laws for the citizenry, but also has the responsibility of ensuring that state resources are not wantonly dissipated.

“...many people are crying over the canker of corruption in the country, but instead of the NDC joining forces to fight against corruption, they are rather preventing Parliament from combating the canker...NDC is gradually legalizing corruption to be accepted in the country…” the NPP MP stated.

President John Mahama during his maiden media encounter to mark his First Year in office, stated that his administration will strive to build the nation on the wheels of transparency and accountability as the surest way to fighting corruption. This, he (Mahama) believes is the bedrock to development.

But the NPP MP believes the recent incident in Parliament where the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Doe Adjaho, swiftly dismissed the motion on the sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz solidifies his conviction.

Speaking to Hot FM, the former Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning In-Charge of Revenue under the erstwhile Kufuor administration posited that corruption will be difficult to fight in this country as long as leading members of the ruling party continue to dabble in cases tinged with corruption.

“…nobody knows the interest of the NDC members in the private company Fortiz Equity Fund…..whether it was the fault of NPP or NDC, we as Parliamentarians are asking for a thorough investigation into the sale of Merchant Bank; thus, this exercise should go beyond the perimeters of politics…this has nothing to do with NPP,” he asserted.