The outspoken Member of Parliament for Lower Manya, Michael Teye Nyaunu, who lost his bid to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the December 7, 2012 polls, has given a hint of contesting for the seat as a possible independent candidate.
Mr Nyaunu, who lost his re-election bid to Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, deputy Eastern regional Minister, told Joy FM yesterday he was lacing his boots to contest as an independent candidate.
The vocal MP, a close associate of the Rawlingses, is the first known FONKAR member to fly the independent kite after defeat in the NDC primaries.
He had told The Globe newspaper that the Woyome judgment debt saga had the potency to drive the Mills government out of power.
Nyaunu called the saga “a deep scar on the party’s conscience,” saying no matter what the party did, it would make an indelible mark that might inform voting patterns this December.
“This is a deep scar on the party. No matter how they try to polish this thing, it won’t go away; this is a big shame on the party,” he said.
He said had the Mills government listened to internal critics like him, things would not have gotten this bad, adding that he could “not believe Betty Mould-Iddrisu didn’t consult the President before giving authorization to the Minister of Finance to dish out money to Alfred Woyome. There is something wrong somewhere.”
“What is worrying now is that the taxpayers’ money has been given to one person. So whoever is involved is not necessary. We want the money,” he added. “The government is behaving as if it has now come into power for the first time. We are mismanaging things as if we have never been in government and when people are talking too, we don’t listen. Arrogance is being displayed at its highest peak and this is where it has brought us. I am sick, tired and very worried,” he said. “The President must be able to prove to Ghanaians that he has no hand in this and he doesn’t entertain this gargantuan corruption. These are the things that Martin Amidu wanted to say and he was fired. All those who are involved must be prosecuted. Betty Mould-Iddrisu should have been arrested before Alfred Woyome. It is very shameful,” he added.