Former Special Prosecutor (SP), Martin Amidu, has said the NPP led administration has been dominated with arrogance and impunity since Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo’s swearing in into office as president.
According to the former Attorney-General, the attitude of the government is evident in the decisions on policies and programmes it has introduced.
He alleged that government engages in an outward consultation only when there is serious objection to the policy by the electorate and other stakeholders.
“Nana Akufo-Addo’s government became infested with the arrogance and impunity of power right from the day it assumed the reins of Government on 7th January 2017.
“This is the government of a make-believe democrat who consults stakeholders affected by his major policies only after getting Parliament to enact his wishes as policy”
“The government then seeks cosmetic post facto consultation with affected stakeholders only when there is serious objection to the policy by the electorate and other stakeholders” Mr. Amidu wrote.
He therefore recalled the unresolved Sputnik-V Covid-19 vaccine scandal that is still uninvestigated, the Aker Energy Scandal, the E-levy and the Ameri deal as instances in which government involved some stakeholders after the opposition had stood against them.
He added that, “the constitutional principles of probity, accountability, and transparency in governance are shamelessly contravened by a government that came to power only after representing to We the People that it would be the most accountable and transparent government ever to run the affairs of this country.”
In this regard, the embattled lawyer attributed parliaments rejection of the 2022 budget to arrogance of power and impunity that can negatively affect any Government that takes the electorate for granted, a situation he described as “rabbles” on the part of government.
To wit, the reason assigned by the majority side in walking out of Parliament when the Speaker was about to take the vote on the budget is not “supportable under the 1992 Constitution or the Standing Orders of Parliament.”
The former SP stressed that the foundation for the NPP caucus’ action was laid when on March 29, 2021 the House jointly approved then Finance Minister nominee despite outstanding queries at his vetting.
That notwithstanding, the former Attorney General believes it is due time the concerned citizens of the country rise up against the “arrogance of power” and fight against all forms of corruption.
“No faceless threats of assassination or intimidation with politically motivated persecutions should deflect us from our cause of fighting against all forms of suspected corruption and defending the Constitution. Let every patriot put Ghana first and protect the public purse from the looting machine” he stated.
