The report released by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) exonerating President John Mahama of any wrongdoing as far as his acceptance of a Ford Expedition gift from a Burkinabe contractor is concerned, shows that the commission simply exists to do the presidency’s bidding, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader of Parliament, has said.
According to him, the report as released by CHRAJ failed to deal with the crux of the matter.
CHRAJ has said not only did its investigation into allegations of bribery, fraud and conflict of interest brought against Mr Mahama in connection with the SUV gift exonerate the President, but also brings closure to the matter.
After close to four months of what CHRAJ describes as extensive investigations, the commission said President Mahama only violated the gift policy regime for public officers.
It is recalled that the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), the Youth Wing of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), and a private citizen petitioned CHRAJ to have Mr Mahama investigated after he received the Ford SUV from the contractor who was in turn awarded government contracts.
Speaking in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Friday September 30, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said: “The steps taken by CHRAJ shows that they exist to satisfy the presidency.”
To that end, he suggested that: “We will need to have a second look at our constitution regarding the composition of such bodies – the quasi-constitutional bodies or commissions such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CJRAJ), NCCE (National Commission on Civic Education), [and] the Electoral Commission. We will need to find appropriate ways to compose these bodies.”
He further stated that should an amendment be made, the president, in making appointments, “will need to come to parliament for the House to approve by a two-thirds majority”, adding: “This will make the president much more consultative and engage all stakeholders in the country.
This will ensure that the appointee is seen as someone who will be truthful. But if the president does what he wants and picks his cronies to head these bodies, Ghanaians will always have problems with these appointments.”
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