The Youth League of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), has said it will pursue its petition over President John Mahama’s Ford saga to “its logical conclusion”.
The Youth League of the CPP petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) following revelations that President Mahama accepted a Ford Expedition from a Burkinabe Contractor who is said to have subsequently benefited from some government contracts.
[contextly_sidebar id=”t5BZUxcFmWw8qNIlAlCDBcOcSZ5e4tME”]CHRAJ has however asked the youth wing to furnish it with more evidence in the petition against the President.
‘We will respond appropriately’
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the Head of the Youth League, Hardi Yakubu, indicated that its response to this development was to refer the CHRAJ request to its legal affairs command.
“We have referred to the legal affairs command of the youth league and the head of the legal affairs command and his legal brains are looking at the matter and they will advise as to the appropriate response that we should give to it.”
“We are looking at it and whatever information and the evidence that we are going to provide to CHRAJ. The legal people are putting it together and we will respond appropriately,” Mr. Yakubu noted further.
Party tensions won’t affect petition
Mr. Yakubu also addressed the rift in the CPP that has emerged following varying responses in the party to the Ford gift saga.
The CPP’s Youth Organizer, Ernesto Yeboah and the General Secretary, Nii Armah Akomfrah, are serving a suspension and undergoing internal disciplinary procedures following their criticism of President Mahama’s acceptance of the Ford Expedition, which the party viewed as a contradiction to the Flagbearer’s position on the matter.
In the view of the party, the two disrespected the Flagbearer Ivor Greenstreet who ostensibly opted not to criticize President Mahama for accepting the gift.
But in Mr. Yakubu’s view, the rift in the party is just a by-product of its democratic processes.
According to him, “what we are seeing is some form of divergence that we are likely to see in a democratic dispensation.”
He further maintained that, the internal party issues would not affect the Youth League’s pursuit for justice.
“I don’t think that in any way casts doubt on the integrity of the Youth League to see to the conclusion of this matter and we are determined to pursue it to its logical conclusion.”
The Ford gift saga
The youth of the CPP on July 20, 2016, petitioned CHRAJ to probe President Mahama’s acceptance of the Ford Expedition gift from the contractor, Djibril Kanazoe.
The party’s youth wing argued that, the circumstances surrounding the gift and the acceptance of it by President Mahama, contravened the 1992 constitution.
The Burkinabe in question, Djibril Kanazoe, has been accused of bribing President Mahama with the expensive vehicle in an attempt to win a contract to execute a road construction project.
He admitted giving President Mahama a 2010 Ford Expedition vehicle as a gift when he was Vice President in 2012, for which the President called to thank him.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana