Parliament must cleanse itself – Nduom

Founder of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom is asking Parliament to redeem its image which has been soiled by Mahama Ayariga’s bribery allegation against Members of the Appointments Committee and Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko.

In a release, the 2016 flagbearer of PPP and former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem constituency said the integrity of the house has always been questioned by Ghanaians due to perceptions of bribery adding that, the allegation by the Bawku Central MP only muddied the waters.

Although Honourable Ayariga’s accusation was rubbished following investigations by the Joe Ghartey committee which concluded that “Mr. Mahama Ayariga is in Contempt of Parliament on the strength of Article 122 of the 1992 Constitution, Section 32 of the Parliament Act, 1965 (Act 300) and Orders 28 and 30 (2) of the Standing Orders of Parliament” and could purge himself by apologising for bringing the name of Parliament into disrepute, Dr Nduom asserts it is not enough to save the image of the house.

“The report presented by the Ghartey Committee on the alleged bribery of Appointment Committee members cannot end that matter. A section of the public believes that MPs demand inducements before they act. This perception must not be allowed to stand. Some even say that bad loans and laws approved by Parliament are due to such inducements. True or false?

“The responsibility lies with the Speaker and the Leadership to address this matter positively. If the representatives of the people don't open up and address these allegations in a manner that receives the approval of many, the people may one day take matters into their own hands,” he noted.

Background

Honourable Ayariga accused the Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak of collecting bribe money from Joe Osei Owusu, Chairman of the Appointment Committee of Parliament out of which he distributed ?3,000 each to Minority members on the committee.

According to Ayariga, they collected the monies initially thinking it was a sitting allowance but returned it after they learnt it was money paid on behalf of Boakye Agyarko to bribe them to approve his nomination.

This was followed by a petition to the Speaker by three Minority MPs: Mahama Ayariga, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Alhassan Suhuyini after they confirmed that the alleged bribery indeed occurred, hence their decision to ask for investigations, despite the denial by Minority Chip Whip and MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak.

The Speaker therefore approved the setting up of a five-member in-house committee, to investigate the corruption allegations.