In Akufo-Addo’s Kabuki ‘We the People’, who voted him into power are rabbles who are undiscerning of truth and reality, according to Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu. According to him, the government has a Goebel’s mentality of being capable of winning over the electorate by deception and not the truth.
He was speaking in relation to the Majority side’s walkout in Parliament before the vote on the 2022 Budget Statement on November 26. He explained that the reason proffered by the Majority to explain their walkout was frivolous and entirely unfounded.
Martin Amidu, however, opined that the Majority’s walkout was a ruse to hide the fact that they did not have the numbers to push for the approval of their Budget.
“The Nana Akufo-Addo’s side of the equally divided Parliament knew that it did not have the numbers to have its way even if the independent Member of Parliament chose to cast his vote with the Nana Akufo-Addo side of Parliament on November 26, 2021.
“The reason assigned by Nana Akufo-Addo’s side for 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.
“Aseidu Nketia, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, or any other Ghanaian has a constitutional right to sit in the gallery of parliament during proceedings which are open to the public,” he stated.
He added that it was somewhat ironic that the NPP side would walk out on account of Asiedu Nketia’s presence in Parliament’s gallery.
According to him, when the NPP needed the Minority side’s support to approve Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s nomination, Asiedu Nketia petitioned to convince the Minority on their behalf.
“We the People saw the circumstances of that compromise by NDC, with Aseidu Nketia as its General Secretary, approving the then Minister of Finance nominee for substantive appointment as tainted with suspected corruption.
“Why the presence of Asiedu Nketia in the gallery of parliament on the day of taking the vote on the 2022 Budget would be a reason for a walkout by the other side should be anybody’s conjecture,” he said.
He was quick to add that had it not been for the compromise of the Minority side, the 2022 Budget, which has been described by the Minority as a killer budget, wouldn’t have been created in the first place.
“But We the People know that without the betrayal we suffered at the hands of a former NDC Minister of Finance, the National Executive of the NDC and its leadership in Parliament, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, will not have been in any position to inflict any hardship on Ghanaians through a draconian 2022 Budget Statement and Policy.
“What happened on November 26, 2021, with the rejection of the 2022 Budget Statement was only the first redemption by those who shamefully let this country down on 29th March 2021 when they joined in approving this Minister of Finance nominee by consensus in a voice vote for appointment despite outstanding queries at his vetting,” he said.
Meanwhile, he has urged Ghanaians to be particularly “alert to the Kabuki dance in whatever futile form it takes to reverse the irreversible rejection of the 2022 Budget Statement by Parliament.”
Source: Cornerlis Kweku Affre
