Amidu’s Nomination & The Arrogance Outcry: Is He Really Arrogant, How Would That Impact His Job As SP?

We are all hypocrites. Yes I think we are. Even with the mirror to our face we refuse to accept the image we see. The mirror tells us, this is you. I only reflect what I see. The only way to change me (the mirror) is for you to change yourselves, change your characters, change your attitudes and don’t ask me to change myself or who I am. When you change I will change. If you make a face, you’ll see same image, same you because I mirror what I see. I hate corruption I can’t stand it. I hate hypocrisy I can’t go to bed with her.

How could we not know that we need someone like this man? That Mr. Martin Amidu is an individual who‘s self-confidence (and probably he’s notan arrogant as being bandied about). That he tells it as it is and doesn’t succumb to the whims of authorities. Have we forgetting that we’re fighting an invisible Monster and we need the incorruptible, the fearless, an individual with uncompromising attributewe need a man who holds the double-edged sword to fight this fight?

This is a man who doesn’t hide who he is. He rather flaunts his ugly side, his bad side, his good side, and histemperaments. He neither hides his weakness nor hides his strength.If that’s what‘s making you shake like a leaf then be prepared to change your ways. They say open rebuke is better than secret love.

Sorry if that isn’t the kind of person we’re clamouring for. Then we must as well forget the crusade against corruption. We must forget havinga corrupt-free society if that’s not what we’re looking for. By the way, let me assure you that the fight has just begun. Also I can state without a flinch that what you witnessed on Tuesday 13 February 2018 during the vetting of the nominee is just a tip of the iceberg. The red tide is shaping up and the real game is nigh.

Writer and poet John Mark Green says “The self-righteous scream judgments against others to hide the noise of skeletons dancing in their own closets.”

Is Amidu really arrogant?
Maybe he is or maybe he’s not. But is that the crux of the issue? Are we suggesting that the president didn’t know his pick, in other words he didn’t nominate the right person? I think the question we’ve to ask ourselves is: How would Amidu’s perceived arrogance influence his next job and how did that character trait impact Ghana’s democracy during his spell as a career politician over three decades? And we won’t know the answer to the former question until end of his tenure as Special Prosecutor, if he gets the nod.

However, it’s an undeniable fact that Mr. Amidu is a consummate politician and a lawyer. His track recordshows he’s distinguished himself as an individual who doesn’t lick boots. He’s a man who gets the results.He didn’t earn the accolade ‘Citizen Vigilante’ for nothing. I think his character and exploits in politics belie the notion that he’s arrogant. And I’m sure Iwon’t be wrong to saythat it’s his integrity that’sbrought him this far. President Akufo-Addo alluded to that fact and many eminent Ghanaians uphold similar view.

The critics
“Me, I would have walked him out straight, if I were chairman of the committee. Look at his arrogance towards Haruna’s joke. He cannot be investigating cases with his emotion and bitterness. The way he embarrassed Haruna over the Builsa way joke exposed his arrogance. It was not good. If the President watched, he should call him and talk to him. I repeat, it won’t work. That arrogance he portrayed over there, I am justified about him. And I hate his pretentious smiling. Who will buy that, after he embarrassed Haruna?” Kennedy Agyepong MP for Assin Central said.

They say some jokes are expensive. How would his (Amidu’s) kinsmen react to that joke? Do Dagombas and Builsas share jokes probably not?And I don’t think Mr. Amidu was in the position to predict what could happen per that statement from the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, hence his reaction and the committees’ insistence, the joke should be treated off record.

Mr. Agyapong continued: “He is not a good choice. That man will collapse NPP, mark my words. I have had that intuition. My instincts are not wrong. God has given me that gift and I thank Him. When I see something, it happens. He has pain in him” he retorted.

And this is why I think Mr. Agyapong got it all wrong. He says Amidu will collapse the NPP. ‘How can Satan fight against Satan?’ Jesus once asked. I think the NPP will only collapse if it is corrupt. Mr. Amidu’s task is to deal with officials, individuals or group of persons that are corrupt. So how does he collapse NPP if there are no corrupt people in the party?

I also have instincts just like Ken. And my instincts tell me what Mr. Agyapong fears will only happen if the governing NPP tries to shield its corrupt officials but turns around to railroad others. That I can assure him the anti-graft crusader will bark and bite. Yes, that could possibly happen.

Does Mr. Agyapong think every Ghanaian likes his style of politics? The answer is no. Nonetheless, he’s won the admiration of many both home and abroad including me. The reason, his perceived brusqueness doesn’t affect what he was mandated to do for his constituents and Ghanaians at large.

You know Pit Bulls are the most dangerous breeds. But we still keep them. They’ve a very powerful jaw and bite and are well-known to not release their bite so easily. You cannot tame your bulldog and yet wants him to be wild. It doesn’t work—that smacks hypocrisy.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa MP for North Tongu also said this about Mr. Amidu: “The way he was speaking and said Dr. Obed Asamoah was not his boss because he didn’t pay his school fees, that attitude is not the best. If you look at the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, he’s going to be working under a Board, he’ll also be accountable to the Attorney General. So if you have this mindset that you are a superman, there’s nobody who’s your boss probably except ex-President Rawlings. The energies of the Special Prosecutor, his deputy and staff must be channeled towards preventing and fighting corruption, there should be no energies left for matters dealing with egos and peoples special preferences, we don’t need that.”

Mr. Ablakwa was commenting on the more than eight-hour vetting of Mr. Amidu by the Appointment’s Committee of Parliament on Tuesday.The MP who’s a member of the Appointment Committee quoting from page 465 of a book authored by former Attorney General, Obed Asamoah under who Mr. Amidu worked titled “Political History of Ghana 1950-2013, the Experience of a Non-Conformist”, asked the latter what he made of a damning verdict passed on him by his former boss when his choice as a running mate to candidate Mills was described as “unproductive move” and a candidate who will not be beneficial to the ticket.

And Amidu being Amidu gave spoke his mind: “Mr. Chairman in the first place Dr. Asamoah is not my boss; he did not pay my bills through the law school. He was called to the Bar. I was called to the Bar. He didn’t appoint me Deputy Attorney General, I was appointed Deputy Attorney General before he came there and I served under Aikins, Nana Tandoh, Mr. Forson came for six months before he was asked to act, and we are colleagues. Except that he was Attorney General and I was the deputy and therefore I knew my place and worked with him, that doesn’t make him my boss. You’re reading a self-serving book, in which he wanted to be the Vice Presidential candidate, he was by-passed, the Presidential candidate saw his deputy more competent and excellent than him.”

The director of the Center for European Studies at the University of Ghana Professor Ransford Gyampo has also weighed in the issue.: “He [Amidu] demonstrated he was on top of issues but no matter how brilliant you are, no matter how intelligent you may be, when you appear before a committee or a group of people for an interview or to be vetted, you have to maintain a composure which is very calm but at the same time will not make you a walkover.

“The vetting committee is not a place to blow your own horn and show disrespectful gestures. To the youth: if you adopt this attitude at some interview, no matter how qualified or brilliant you are, you’ll not be employed. In a way, the composure and mannerism of Martin Amidu was not the best, I found it quite disrespectful to the vetting committee.”

But not everyone criticised the former Attorney General. Former Commissioner of the Commission on Humans Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Emile Short, has described Special Prosecutor nominee, Mr. Amidu, as the best person for the job.

“I was highly impressed and it only reinforced my initial assessment when the nomination was announced that he is the person for this job. He has all the qualities and vast experience as a prosecutor. Academically, he’s sound, he has integrity, he’s fearless and he’s been an anti-corruption crusader…”

Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaperhas said Mr. Ablakwa exhibited ‘political immaturity’ and ‘naivety’ when he asked Mr. Martin Amidu a question based on a book written by former Attorney General, Obed Asamoah.

According to him, that move by Mr. Ablakwa was not smart and could only come from an inexperienced politician.

“Bringing the issue about the Obed Asamoah’s book was not a smart attempt, why bring that thing there? Unless you’re too politically inexperienced and naive I see no need for that issue to have been raised on that particular platform at that material moment, “ Baako said.