The Parliamentary Committee of Members Holding Office of Profit is organizing a three-day workshop to educate members on the need to ensure transparency and accountability while in positions of trust.

Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the Second Deputy Speaker, in his remarks criticized the habits of members who use public office to pursue their parochial interest at the expense of the state. It is important, he said, that members recognize the damage these habits do to the governance structure since it erodes public confidence and trust as well as depriving citizens of some basic services they are entitled to.

The Member of Parliament for Fomena subsequently emphasized the ever-increasing need for Members to ensure integrity and trust in their line of work while desisting from habits that are outside their parliamentary duties primarily because conflict of interest arises when personal interest is prioritized, and parliamentary work compromised, by a holder of a public office.

“Because conflict of interest arises when a public officer compromises the parliamentary works for personal gains”
Andrew Amoako Asiamah

He stated, also, that the new standing orders of parliament, which allows the committee to make recommendations to the Speaker will enable the committee to carefully follow the activities of members to ensure that their parliamentary privileges are not abused.

Also at the event was Andy Appiah Kubi, of Asante Akim South Constituency, who shared that there is no one-time solution to the issue of conflict of interest and abuse of power. In his view, there must be concerted efforts by all stakeholders, with an approach that focuses on both mitigation and prevention.

The training is expected to continue for the next two days with very prominent academics like Pof. Kofi Abotsi, Dean of University of Professional Studies Law School, and Prof. Justice Bawole of the University of Ghana Business School making an appearance.

President Akufo-Addo Accused Of Institutionalizing Corruption To Favor His Cabal

Meanwhile, the National Communications Director of the opposition, National Democratic Congress, has described the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration under President Akufo-Addo as a government that has institutionalized corruption and made it a thriving free for all venture.

Speaking on Dr. Bawumia’s public lecture yesterday, he stated that the Vice-President does not have the integrity to fight corruption as he claimed in his speech.

Mr Sammy Gyamfi said unequivocally that Dr. Bawumia and his NPP government are the only ones in the history of the fourth republic to have encouraged, facilitated, executed and defended corruption as revealed by the 2023 Corruption Perception Index by the Transparency International.

“It is glaringly clear, from Ghana’s performance under the CPI in the last seven (7) years, that the fight against corruption has been lost by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government, who have institutionalized corruption and made it a thriving free for all venture. Never in the history of Ghana has any government enabled, facilitated, promoted and defended corruption like this government has done.”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq.

Moreover, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi accused Dr. Bawumia and the NPP of wasting limited state resources on unproductive ventures and fighting institutions mandated to fight persons engaged in corruption, including the former Auditor General, Mr. Yao Domelevo, the former special prosecutor, Martin ABK Amidu, and the gruesome murder of Ahmed Suale of Tigereye PI.

In the opinion of Mr. Gyamfi, a vote for Dr. Bawumia is ‘a third term vote for Akufo-Addo and his ‘greedy cabal’ of family and friends and further urged Ghanaians to vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) so they can hold the NPP accountable.

The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi, then admonished Ghanaians to vote for John Dramani Mahama in the 2024 general elections to hold the New Patriotic Party accountable for the crimes they have committed against the nation.