Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Mr. Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., has expressed strong reservations of what he has described as the “persistent failure” of Ghana’s Parliament to launch full scale investigations into high profile corrupt and bribery scandals that have hit the country.
The veteran journalist could not fathom why Parliament has failed to investigate the financial scandals that have rocked the various public institutions, with direct emphasis on state-owned defunct Quality Grain Rice Project at Battor-Aveyime in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.
He also expressed disquiet at the failure of Parliament to probe the whopping US$2 million cash gift former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings received from the late Nigerian leader, Mr. Sani Abacha, and the payment of GHC41 million judgement debt paid by the state to Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, Waterville Holding and Austro Invest.
He chided Parliament for failing to probe into the above allegations and othes including its failure to investigate the sale of Merchant Bank and allegations associated with the purchase of “Hotel Kufuor” now Africa Regency Hotel in Accra.
Addressing participants at the 13th annual ‘Kronti ne Akwamu’ lecture organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana in Accra last week, Mr. Kweku Baaku stated that the situation was “dangerous” to the country’s quest to promote probity and accountability.
He therefore called for all hands on decks to demand accountable governance by way of piling pressure on “our leaders,” particularly parliamentarians, to discharge their legislative duties of ensuring that they adopt human-centred measures to probe corrupt practices of institutions and individuals.
He also used the occasion to caution judges to avoid corruption in all instances to promote justice and the rule of law.
According to him, judges who “sell out” justice or indulge in corruption can never be effective in enforcing the law and ensuring fairness.
“Justice bought is the most lethal commodity in the world,” he stated.
To this end, Mr. Baako emphasised the need for all judges and members of the judiciary to avoid corruption so as to safeguard accountability and responsive governance.
“A corrupt judge or judiciary infected by the virus of corruption cannot and will never deliver true justice, justice bought or sold is the most dangerous or lethal commodity in the world and an Osama bin Laden will be a preferable alternative,” he stated.
He joined the list of profound, enviable and accomplished Ghanaians to speak on the theme: “Search for Accountability Government Under the Fourth Republic.”
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