Ministers have the right to petition Mahama too – Sampson Ahi

A Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Sampson Ahi, has defended the decision by some Ministers of State to sign a petition demanding the immediate release of the Montie trio.

According to Mr. Ahi, Ministers, like any other Ghanaian citizen, have the right to petition President John Mahama especially when it is well within the boundaries of the constitution.

A number of Ministers and high ranking officials of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been signing the petition to put pressure on the President to grant a presidential pardon to the three in accordance with Article 72 of the 1992 Constitution.

The petition has garnered signatures from notable NDC officials and government appointees including Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Education Minister, Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, Deputy Minister for Education, Samuel Okudzeto and the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Nana Oye Lithur.

The Ministers have subsequently been criticized for taking a stance in favor of the convicted trio who are expected to serve a four-month sentence.

But speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Ahi questioned why the Ministers were chided for taking such a move.

He argued that if it is acceptable for some groups to make some demands from the President, then it is equally acceptable for Ministers to do same.

“Why is it that IMANI or Occupy Ghana can call on the President not to exercise his power of mercy but nobody else can also call upon the President to exercise that right.Who told you that if you are a Minister, you cannot exercise your rights,” he said.

Mr. Ahi believes he and his fellow ministers also have “that right to also call upon the President to exercise that power.”

“I don't see anything wrong with it. Why should people have problems with it? We are also Ghanaians for Christ's sake!”he stressed.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana