The Mabey And Johnson Reparation Money: I Call For Opinion Polls

I read a story on myjoyonline on the 10thOctober, 2009 which was attributed to one of the deputy ministers of information saying that, government of the National Democratic congress (NDC) of Ghana will not accept the reparation money awarded to Ghana by the Southwark Crown Court after ruling against the Mabey and Johnson Construction Company in the United Kingdom.

It is hugely nonsensical and totally outrageous for the government of the NDC to indicate that, it will not take that reparation money emanating from the ruling of the Southwark Crown Court on the 25thSeptember, 2009.

What are the facts if one may ask? Mabey and Johnson for admitting with empirical evidence in court that, they in the past bribed officials in Ghana to secure some contracts were fined heftily

And for the violation of International business regulations as well as the United Nations rules, Ghana being one of the countries where officials in government were bribed by Mabey and Johnson qualified for a reparation of over £680.000.00 . What must be emphasized here is that, the money is for Ghana with its estimated population of 25Million people, and not for the NDC government and its ministers. So they can’t decide to reject a reparation due Ghana. Any decision to either accept or refuse the money should NEVER be at the whims and caprices of President Mills and his ministers. It should be by the collected decision of every Ghanaian including you and me.

Posterity will NOT forgive president Mills and his government if they take any unilateral or dictatorial decision to refuse the money without a broader consultation with Ghanaians. There must be opinion polls to determine whether we should accept it or not.

Dear readers, let us not politicise this issue of reparation for Ghana. The bare truth is that, we need every pence of this money! We can’t afford to refuse it for any reason on this earth.

How wise will it be if a country that has no even the basic medical equipment in our hospitals should refuse such an amount for political reasons? At least I know authoritatively that, the Tamale Teaching hospital has no CTC scanning machines, no enough ambulances , and has not also got enough equipment to deliver Medicare to the people this applies to all hospitals, clinics and health centres in all parts of Ghana.

To refuse this money when pregnant women have no beds to lie on in our hospitals can only be described as the greatest insensitivity that any government can show to its people! There are more urgent reasons to take the money than they are refusing it.

President Mills must be asked whether he was able to secure such an amount from the government of the United Kingdom for anything in Ghana when he visited the place the other time.

We have to understand that, the judgement against Mabey and Johnson was not against those persons whose names are making the rounds in Ghana. So the fact that, three or four of the names that came up belonging to the NDC does not mean that, the NDC government should be so heartless and wicked to Ghanaians by single-handedly refusing money we urgently need! Whether we like it or not, nothing can change the fact that, a construction company in the United kingdom by name Mabey and Johnson bribed Ghanaian officials to secure undeserved contracts in Ghana in the 90’s.

Even if the world should come to an end and a new set of people created by God into a brand new world that will not erase that FACT! So how reasonable is it for us to refuse the very money we have being looking for, and travelling all over the globe with cup in hand begging for it?

As for those whose names came up, it is very laudable that, President Mills has now turned his ears to the popular voices of the people by now asking the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) of Ghana to conduct further investigations into the case. Those whose names have come up so far must be made to face the anger of the law should they be found culpable and made to also refund some monies to Ghana as well.

If President Mills won’t accept the reparation money on behalf of Ghanaians then he should not also accept the resignation of those of his ministers whose names came up and who have been forced to resign their positions. Also CHRAJ must halt any further investigations to save Ghana more unnecessary expenditure. I wish to use this medium to appeal to civil society groups and other human rights agencies to impress on the government to take the money on behalf of Ghanaians. We need every Pesewa of it! May I also appeal to all Ghanaians in and out of Ghana to join me to petition the United Kingdom government to pay the money to Ghana by all means! Interested Ghanaians who think we need the money in Ghana to at least improve our medical facilities should email me.

We must make the strongest case that, it is Ghanaians and Ghana that need that reparation money and not President Mills and his Ministers who could even end up using the money for kebabs and Lipton tea as usual.

Akilu Sayibu, UK.

Email: Akilu.sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk