Mahama Ayariga must not give in to “intimidation” by opposition and governing party MPs, but remain firm in his position on the bribery allegation he made against the leadership of the Appointments Committee of parliament some weeks ago, the Bawku Central NDC has advised.
Mr Ayariga had alleged that Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko had offered, through committee chair Joe Osei-Owusu and Minority Chief Whip Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, bribe of GHS3000 to each of the Minority MPs on the Appointments Committee to facilitate his (Mr Agyarko’s) approval as Minister.
All three persons mentioned in the matter have denied the matter and the Joe Ghartey Committee set up to look into the allegation found the Bawku Central lawmaker guilty of contempt of parliament, occasioning the Speaker to ask Mr Ayariga to apologise to MPs – a request he obliged.
In the aftermath of Thursday’s apology by Mr Ayariga, party executives in his constituency, in a release signed by Faisal Ayinde, Deputy Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Bawku Central, expressed “profound admiration” to the parliamentarian for being “brave, courageous” and to speak the truth “even in the minority of one”.
“We want to further assure him that we mandated him to go to the august house and to remain truthful because we are with him through thick and thin. No amount of intimidation should let him capitulate on the path of truth and courage,” the statement further said.
The group accused the legislature of being in a “hurry” to bring closure to the allegations raised, sacrificing the need for a “thorough job to ascertain the credibility or not of the bribery allegations”.
It also likened the Minority’s conduct in the matter to throwing “one of their own to the dogs”, and urged the leadership of the NDC to remind Minority MPs of the need to protect the interests of their party above others’.
It explained: “We call on the leadership of the party to, as a matter of urgency, call all minority MPs to order to avert their minds to the fact that the interest of their constituents and the NDC is supreme and not to be in bed with the ruling government.”
The statement is produced below:
WE STAND WITH OUR MP HON. MAHAMA AYARIGA — BAWKU CENTRAL
TRUTH STANDS
We the good citizens of Bawku Central Constituency who mandated HON. MAHAMA AYARIGA during the 2016 elections to represent us in Parliament wish to express our profound admiration at how our MP remains brave, courageous and speaks the truth even in the minority of one. The truth, they say, will surely stand.
We want to further assure him that we mandated him to go to the august house and to remain truthful because we are with him through thick and thin. No amount of intimidation should let him capitulate on the path of truth and courage.
Parliament is a master of its own and should be encouraging members to be bold enough to speak the truth even in the minority of one at all times.
We strongly believe that the core mandate of the committee was to find facts and present the facts as they are and not evaluate facts and pronounce a final judgement on the matter. We believe the Speaker’s committee has overstepped its boundaries and has dwelled into uncharted waters. Pursuant to Order 191 of the parliamentary standing orders, the committee cannot find him guilty of contempt.
The committee, we all know, was called a FACT FINDING COMMITTEE and as its name suggest it is supposed to find facts as its core mandate and nothing more than that.
It is becoming clear how Parliament is so much in a hurry to put the bribery allegations to a closure instead doing a thorough job to ascertain the credibility or not of the bribery allegations. Ghanaians have become more discerning and can read in between the lines.
It is very obvious the minority side of the house, especially leadership, is not living up to expectation. We do not expect them to be in bed with the ruling government. It is surprising to the ordinary foot soldier how and why the leadership of the minority is so much in a hurry to throw one of their own to the dogs.
We call on the leadership of the party to, as a matter of urgency, call all minority MPs to order to avert their minds to the fact that the interest of their constituents and the NDC is supreme and not to be in bed with the ruling government.
Parliament can force Hon. Mahama Ayariga to apologise but we the good citizens are discerning to also take our position and understanding on this matter where parliament is supposed to have investigated itself.
Thank you
FAISAL AYINDE
DEP. COMMUNICATION OFFICER
BAWKU CENTRAL NDC
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