[ 2016-08-27 ]

MPs’ recall in connection with Mahama’s Ford gift saga – Agyarko
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Ayawaso West
Wogon, Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, has revealed
that Parliament’s decision to summon MPs from
their break, has to do with the Minority’s
attempts to put forth concerns over President John
Mahama’s Ford gift saga.

Speaking on Citi FM’s News analysis programme,
The Big Issue, the MP revealed, “We have asked
Mr. Speaker to call back the house… we would
want to raise the issue of the gift from Kanazoe
to his Excellency the President on the floor of
Parliament.”


This was in response to a circular indicating that
the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, has
summoned parliament to sit on Thursday, September
1, in pursuance of Article 112(3) of the
constitution and order 38(1) of the standing
orders of Parliament.

Mr. Agyarko however gave no indication if the
Minority wanted to initiate impeachment
proceedings against President Mahama but he simply
said “we will raise the issues…when we get to
that bridge we will cross it.”

The Minority in Parliament has already hinted of a
possible impeachment process against President
Mahama, for accepting the Ford Expedition gift
from a Burkinabe Contractor, Djibril Kanazoe.

In July 2016, Citi News reported that the Minority
had started started collecting signatures of
Members in the House in a move some insiders said
could lead to a push for impeachment proceedings
against President Mahama.

A Deputy Majority Leader, Alfred Agbesi, has
however openly warned that the Majority will not
tolerate any extra constitutional moves to
investigate the President.

Background

President Mahama came under intense public
criticism for accepting the Ford gift worth about
US$100,000 allegedly to influence him.

Djibril Kanazoe, admitted giving President Mahama
the Ford Expedition vehicle, for which the
President called to thank him.

The gift, according to reports, was prior to an
attempt by the contractor, to win a bid to execute
the Dodo Pepeso-Nkwanta road construction
project.

The same contractor had also been contracted to
build a wall, at a cost of over half a million
dollars, for the Ghana Embassy in Ouagadougou.

Mahama’s letter to CHRAJ

The Commission on Human rights and Administrative
Justice (CHRAJ) indicated that it has initiated
steps that could lead to an investigation of
President John Mahama, following the receipt of
petitions from the youth league of the Convention
People’s Party (CPP) and another complainant, a
private individual.

But President Mahama, in a letter signed by his
lawyer, Tony Lithur, asked CHRAJ to dismiss the
allegations of conflict of interest.

In the letter addressed to the acting Chairperson
of CHRAJ, President Mahama held that he was
innocent of all the allegations leveled against
him.

Can the Minority remove the President?

For the Minority to succeed in grounding
impeachment proceedings against the President, at
least a third of MPs in the Ghanaian legislature
must sign onto the petition for President
Mahama’s removal.

Furthermore, for a President to be removed from
office under the 1992 Constitution, at least two
third-majority of MPs in Ghana’s 275-member
legislature, must vote for a motion calling for
the President’s impeachment.

Such a vote will be taken only after a five-member
committee set up by the Chief Justice indicts the
President.

Was Mahama wrong to accept gift?

Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana
states, “A public officer shall not put himself
in a position where his personal interest
conflicts or is likely to conflict with the
performance of the functions of his office.”

This constitutional provision has informed a new
bill, Conduct of Public Officers Bill, 2013,
presented by cabinet to Parliament.

According to Section 21 (b) a public officer many
not “ accept a gift, favour or an advantage that
has the potential to influence the proper
discharge of the public officer’s functions or
judgment, from a person with whom the public
officer comes into contact in relation to the
public officer’s functions.”

Source - citifmonline.com

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