The Minority in Parliament has described the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) reprimand of Northern Regional Chairman Daniel Bugri Naabu and Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Otiko Afisa Djaba as a “charade”.
Mr Naabu and Ms Djaba’s fight began when the Chairman violently disrupted a meeting between the Minister and women’s group in the Northern Region because he was not informed of the gathering.
Ms Djaba in response accused Mr Naabu of taking cows and goats as bribe to offer people jobs. Mr Naabu replied by accusing Otiko of being a controversial person in the party and having a hand in the death of the late Upper East regional chairman of the party, Adams Mahama.
The NPP, after its emergency National Council meeting in Accra on Wednesday, directed the two politicians to render an apology and bond to be of good behaviour.
Reacting to how the NPP has handled the matter on 12 Live on Class91.3FM on Thursday 11 May, Alhaji A. B.A Fuseini, NDC Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu and Minority spokesperson on Communications, said: “This is a complete charade. Indeed if you look at the gravity of the issues raised in respect of the utterances that came from the two officials, even in their [NPP’s] own statements, they indicated that they took strong disapproval of the utterances of the two which indicate clearly that it is a serious matter.”
According to him: “What has happened between Madam Otiko Djaba and Bugri Naabu is no longer an NPP matter. The utterances they’ve made have widespread implications for our democratic process. They have important implications for justice delivery in the country. They have traversed an area in which the interest and aspirations of the good people of this country [are] at stake…”
Alhaji Fuseini noted that allegations bordering on bribery and corruption must be investigated and not swept under the carpet.
The lawmaker continued: “When you say you are privy to information that two ministers of state, Madam Otiko Djaba and the Upper East Regional Minister, and somebody who has been appointed a District Chief Executive are all complicit for the murder of the late Upper East Regional chairman, these are not matters you say ‘retract’, these are serious matters and you don’t treat them as a chop bar matter.”
In his view, the allegation made by Mr Naabu is a serious matter that demands a probe by an impartial multi-party group to establish the veracity or otherwise of the allegation.
The lawmaker further called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to act to prove the mantra that he is an anti-corruption crusader.
“Action should be taken by the president. This is a president who is an anti-corruption crusader. This is a president that some former heads of state said they could vouch for, for his anti-corruption credentials. This is his second major test to prove his anti-corruption mantra, his zero tolerance for corruption. This is where we want him to act. …This indicates clearly that there is no commitment to fight corruption,” he said.
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