Fall out from CDD Report, WE ARE NOT CORRUPT: MPs cry, say lobbying is 'normal'
Majority of Members of Parliament have discredited the Centre for Democratic Development's Report that describes the Legislature as the fourth most corrupt institution in this country.
According to a section of the MPs who spoke to this reporter, the survey could not be correct and that it should be condemned in all its aspects because "it's just a hasty conclusion that has been drawn by that organisation.'
They all agreed that though they had lobbied in one way or the other to get certain organisations to do things in their favour, they did not consider that as corruption, since according to them lobbying forms part of their duties.
Asked to disclose their salaries as MPs so that it could be compared to their expenditure, all the MPs declined to do so, saying it was not necessary. However, Paul Okoh (NPP, Asutifi North) agreed to make a copy of his pay slip available to this reporter in a week's time.
He strongly disagreed with the conclusions in the report and referred to it as being a "hasty conclusion". He suggested that sources of finance of MPs should be delved into before any allegations were made against them, as most of them own their houses and vehicles through loans taken and which are deducted from their salaries at the end of each month.
Okoh contended that even the District Assemblies Common Fund to which MPs are entitled 2.5%, does not go directly into their accounts but into the accounts of the districts.
Collins Dauda, (NDC, Asutifi South) strongly disagreed with the report, insisting that "any body who says an MP is corrupt does not know what he is talking about because MPs do not control public funds".
He continued, "All the resources or funds available to MPs - that is the Ghana Education Trust Fund, DACF, and all other such funds - are accessed in concert with heads of these departments hence, we cannot misappropriate such funds".
Contending further, Dauda indicated, "For an MP, lobbying is not corruption; it is part of our job that is why there is a lobby in Parliament and not at the ministries or courts. In some countries, the work of a lobbyist attracts consultancy charges just like a medical doctor charges. Lobbying is an institution, I'm telling you".
Anna Nyamekye (NPP, Jaman South) also frowned at the report, but was of the view that if corruption is really perpetrated by MPs, then it is the constituents who push some of them (MPs) to do the unthinkable, as some of their (constituents') demands are rather on the high side.
According to her, she was so bothered by such demands that at one point she decided to make copies of her pay slip and circulate them to her constituents, but she was advised against that. She therefore, called on the leadership of the House to be bold and give MPs the chance to disclose such information to deter constituents from making what she termed abnormal demands.
Joseph Yeileh Cheleh (NDC, Wa West) did not see any thing wrong with the report. He said the perception of corruption exists because some MPs face lots of challenges in their line of duty and so sometimes they have to rely on the benevolence of some organisations to do their work.
"If for that reason they say we are corrupt, so be it. I will not contest that because it is quite close to the truth".
Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development, Gyimah Boadi, had disclosed in an interview on Peace Fm , an Accra-based radio station, that majority of Ghanaians perceive corruption in some public institutions.
"For example, about 70 percent of the interviewees have the perception that there is corruption at the Presidency. For the Ghana Police Service, the percentage of respondents who perceive corruption in there is 86; in government agencies, about 77%; while among Members of Parliament it was pegged at 73%; with elected local government officials clocking 70% and the Judiciary 73%, among others", he stated, quoting from the Ghana Round 4 Afrobarometer Survey.
In terms of comparative data, Prof Gyimah Boadi said, "Perceived corruption at the Presidency and among MPs jumped 14 percent, representing the highest, between 2005 and 2008. Likewise, that for government officials is up by 11 percent."