President John Dramani Mahama has denied his government’s involvement in the judicial exposé carried out by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
[contextly_sidebar id=”qwN9oTs3fuYGTy3huFLaZMxeWEsHXMEb”]Former Attorney-General Martin Amidu had accused government of sponsoring Anas to uncover corruption in the judiciary.
“…The undercover investigation that led to the judicial corruption exposé was commissioned by the Government of Ghana and has its genesis in the acrimonious relationship between the Government and the Judiciary on the assumption of power in 2009 by the Government and the constant demand by the Judiciary for proof of judicial corruption from Government and its associates,” he added.
But speaking at a rally in Tamale, President Mahama said government had no hand in the judicial exposé.
“I didn’t want to wade into this because, Martin Amidu is somebody I respect very much. He is my elder brother and I will never enter into any altercation with him. I just want to put on record that government did not sponsor Anas in the investigation he did, I want that to go on record.”
He explained that “it is true that government has sponsored some of Anas’ work. When he did the work with customs, president Mills asked him to do it. When he did the work with COCOBOD, it was the Minister of Finance, Mr. Duffuor who asked him to do it.”
“This work with the judiciary, we had nothing to do with it. Government did not finance it nor sponsor it,” he added.
Changing Lives Tour
Touching on his changing lives nationwide tour, President Mahama explained that it intended to energize the party ahead of the November 21 Parliamentary and Presidential primaries.
He thanked party supporters in the region for their steadfastness and urged them endorse his 2016 candidature and also elect winnable Parliamentary candidates.
Independent Parliamentary candidates
President Mahama declared zero tolerance for the emergence of independent Parliamentary candidates after the November 21 primaries.
He said a similar bad faith caused the party’s defeat in some 10 constituencies including Tamale North, Bunkprugu, Kpandai and Tatale Sanguli in the Northern Region.
He pleaded with Parliamentary aspirants having such intentions to change position and work with the winners for victory in 2016.
He stressed the need for the party to remain united for resounding victory in 2016.
This in his estimation could enable his administration complete its unfinished transformational agenda.
According to President Mahama, the NDC is not discriminatory and that party loyalists are rewarded based on merit regardless of their origin.
Government’s achievements
President Mahama claimed his administration had significantly developed every facet of the Ghanaian economy to improve the wellbeing of citizens.
He made reference to expansion of infrastructure in the health, education, water and rural electrification sectors which he noted was incomparable with the achievements of the erstwhile Kufuor led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
He pointed at the upgrading and expansion of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, upgrading and expansion of the Tamale Airport and the construction of some major roads as part of his administration’s unprecedented record in the Northern Region.
He disclosed government’s agenda to register 100,000 youth for the various models of the Youth Employment Agency.
Other speakers at the rally including Minister for Roads and Highways, Inusah Fuseini, Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Haruna Iddrisu and a founding father of the NDC, Alhaji Hudu Yahaya said President Mahama deserved a second term in office.
They promised to recapture the 10 seats the party loss in 2012 in the Northern Region.
The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, the first lady, Lordina Mahama, Communications Minister, Dr. Omane Boamah, some Members of Parliament and the NDC’s national Youth Organizer, Siidi Abubakar among other party bigwigs accompanied President Mahama to the region.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana