Ford Saga: Parliament’s Reconvening Needless – P.C

PC Appiah Ofori

Former MP for Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori, has described Parliament’s decision to reconvene Thursday to probe the Ford vehicle gift given to President John Mahama by a Burkinabe contractor as “needless”.

He argued that the president cannot be cited for conflict of interest, especially when the said gift was given to him [Mahama] as the president.

“The vehicle has been given to Ghana and not to him as a person–so, I don’t see the hullabaloo about it,” he said on Monday during an interview with Accra-based Class FM.

Parliament is set to reconvene over the controversial Ford vehicle gift presented by a Burkinabe contractor, Iddrisu Kanazoe. More than 100 minority MPs have reportedly signed a petition to commence an impeachment process against the President for accepting the gift.

Starr News sources say the Speaker of Parliament sent a message to members Friday evening asking them to report to the House on Thursday September 1, to deliberate on the issue.

The Speaker’s conduct is in pursuance of Article 112(3) of the constitution and order 38(1) of the standing orders of Parliament.

However, Mr. Appiah-Ofori contends that the move by parliament is uncalled for and that as far is he is concerned he does not support it.

He said the move by parliament would have been justified if the gift had been given to the president in his personal capacity as Mahama.

“I don’t see the need for all this hullabaloo,” argues Mr. Appiah-Ofor urging parliament to rescind its decision.

The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu retorts otherwise explaining that the move is meant to improve the country’s governance architecture “on the issue of transparency and accountability.”

He thus urged Ghanaians not to be “raucous” against parliament’s decision to probe the controversial gift from Mr. Kanazoe.

Also, he stated that the parliamentary probe will be done objectively and dispassionately to ensure nothing but the truth.

“My thinking or the thinking of some us is that at the end of the day there should be value addition to our governace. That’s all that we seek to establish,” he added.

Earlier this year, an investigation by journalist Manasseh Azure revealed that Mr. Kanazoe in 2012, dashed President Mahama a brand new Ford Expedition, 2010 model with engine number E173A1905101 and Chassis number 1FMJUIJ58aEB748, and in the same year, earned two juicy contracts from the government.

The contracts won by Mr. Kanazoe as a result of his magnanimity include; the fencing of the Ghana Embassy wall in Burkina Faso at a cost of $650,000 and also the construction of part of the Eastern Corridor Road Project

Meanwhile, President Mahama has denied that the vehicle was for his personal use.