Opinions of Saturday, 4 February 2012

Columnist: Asare, Noah Dugubrame

NDC Can Arrest Everybody, The Truth Is What Ghanaians Need.

Since the Woyome Saga showed, many twists and turns has visited it. From Woyome's persistent defense that he had a genuine case against the state. The NPP insistence that he had no contract with the Government and therefore no case. The president John Evans Attah Mills denial that he knew nothing about the whole payment and his defense of Woyome on Radio Gold. To Martin Amidu's outburst and decision to track down the 'gargantuan ceiminals' and his subsequent dismissal.

The twists and turns also include the president's violation of the order of hierarchy of our judicial system by handing over a case under the parliamentary committee and the attorney general's office to a mere investigative body like EOCO.

It has got to the stage where the president has been betrayed as a liar after being sited as having allegedly ordered the stoppage of the payment without success.

It is still going through a process when the NDC as a party took dressing from the position of the president that they will not embarrass the beneficiaries of the fraudulent deal but will rather cast their net to engulf other public officers from the erstwhile Kuffour administration.

It even became a contract work for NDC spokespersons who are still vehemently defending Woyome from radio station to radio station and from one television channel to another. Pro-NDC papers otherwise known as "diabolic rented press" have tried their best to defend Woyome, Betty Mould Iddrisu and members of the current government whilst pointing accusing fingers on former ministers of state who obviously did not contribute in doling out that "booty" to Woyome.

Now the turn it has taken is that, the seat of government has decided to pursue a hypocritical arrest to please the people to calm down tensions and allow the case to die a natural death. But Ghanaians have come of age and have read the signs long before the arrests are made. Arresting Woyome is too little too late. Moreover it will not elude anybody that his (Woyome) arrest is just a camouflage to cover the shame the whole issue is bringing to the government.

If Mills and the NDC was really committed to the course of fighting this gargantuan crime, Hon Amidu should have been in post until at least, he successfully closed down this case. He had the zeal and mindset to bring the perpetuators of this crime to book. But he got lynched and discarded like a common thief. He was lashed in all our mediums of public communications by pro-Mills commentators.

The best way to have shown the NDC's preparedness to nip this case in the bud for Ghanaians to know the whole truth was to organize a public hearing where anyone involved would have face all Ghanaians as some NPP functionaries have suggested. These EOCO, BNI and whatever arrests can go on but the truth still remains that the NDC is hiding something from Ghanaians which will seriously affect their integrity as party and Mills leadership as president.

They can arrest everybody but until they admit the evil they have done Ghanaians and cough out the money and many others still down their throats, this saga will be resurrected even after a thousand years and the disgrace then will be so unbearable. Better slap yourself than allow your rivalry do it. A word to the wise is enough.

Noah Dugubrame Asare. Frankfurt, Germany.