Martin Amidu: Puzzle Of Neutrality?

The appointment of Mr. Martin Amidu as the maiden private prosecutor by his excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has triggered lots of debates, analysis and opinion sharing. All of these are for the betterment of the nation Ghana and the new office aimed at combatting the political corruption that has deprived the nation from rubbing shoulders with her peers.

One amazing character about Ghanaians is the issue of political neutrality, a comment from National Democratic Congress individual is automatically acceptable by the party and every individual in it, reverse is also the case on the NPP the ruling government.

Surprisingly, the appointment of Mr. Martin Amidu has given us a different feeling from all the appointments made in the fourth republic which has lasted for over two decades. Despite the fact that there have been previous appointments of individuals from other parties by the ruling governments, none of them has ever put mixed feelings in the hearts and lips of both opposition and ruling party alike as that of our newly appointed private prosecutor.

Mr. Amidu, as former attorney general of the then ruling NDC government and a founding member of the NDC is now the occupant of this office where many political pundits has described it as a plot to witch-hunt the past government officials.

Some critics of the new office are also of the view that, the new office is a duplication of duties performed by the nation’s attorney general. Others have also raised concerns over the motive behind the creation of the office which they believe might not be of any good for the peaceful inter-party democracy we’re seeing today.

NPP faithfuls believe that, Mr. Amidu is going to take revenge on what they describe as ill treatment of his removal from the office of the attorney general by former president John Dramani Mahama. Others are also of the view that, Mr. Amidu’s outburst over the corruption in the NDC administration was a plot to winthe support of the Rawlings’ fashion in the NDC to support his presidential ambition which didn’t work well for him.

Concerns has also been raised on whether Mr. Amidu can be loyal to his employer Nana Addo, because Mr. Amidu as an NDC man will not and can never turn his back on the political party he has financed for years, as a result the focus as people believe going to be on the corruption in the past administration will rather shift to the current government officials which intends to make this government unpopular and corrupt in the eyes of Ghanaian voters.

On the flip of the coin is where people believe that, the new office is going to do the bid of Mr. Rawlings where “babies with sharp teeth” are going to pay for their gross misconduct and corrupt practices in government. There are hopes that, the new prosecutor is going to commence the end of NDC because the likes of bus branding, Brazil’s World Cup, Wayome, and others are going to be revisited which will bring NDC to its knees.

In all these, as a citizen of the motherland, I’m wondering on one thing: can Mr. Amidu be the epitome of neutrality in discharging his duties? The man who has won the title anti-corruption crusader because he was bold to voice out the corruption in his own government. He personally took the issue of Wayome verses the state upon himself, his involvement in the campaign against corruption in NDC which most people believe also contributed to the humiliated performance of NDC in the just ended presidential election.

To draw the curtains, I personally think that, all things being equal, Mr. Martin Amidu has no reason to disappoint this country. What at all does he stand to gain or lose if he performs his duties diligently? Mr. Amidu took his time to enlighten Ghanaians on the loopholes in the decision to appoint private prosecutor by his excellency Nana Addo, sending of the bill to parliament for the legislative approval was something he didn’t see the need for. He explained in his opinion sharing write-up the very things he believed were wrong.

This in my opinion makes him the best candidate for the job. He has the insight on what was right and wrong about this office, his experience in the attorney general’s office and involvement in cabinet office cannot be put under carpet.

Now the political syndrome of “watch my back I watch your back” is of no use for Mr. Amidu because NDC never consider him as one of them unless it’s a political strategy as some commentators has alleged. NPP in their widest dream will not see Mr. Amidu as one of them when he’s still a founding member of the NDC. But Ghana and Ghanaians believe so much that, the new office is going to help reduce if not to eliminate, to retrieve some if not all and to put fear in some if not all the corruption in our system which has become hereditary and passes on from one government to another.

We ought to congratulate the president for given Ghanaians the puzzle to solve in the person he has presented for the private prosecutor job.

The ball is in your court Mr. Martin Amidu.
All eyes are watching.
Sir KAM (Oluman).