Opinions of Sunday, 26 July 2009

Columnist: Amegashie, Felix Mawulolo

Prosecute The Bawku Central MP

- “Dishonourable. Adamu Dramani-Sakande Immediately!

An Accra High Court yesterday, Wednesday July 15, 2009 at about noon ruled that one Mr. Adamu Dramani-Sakande, who until noon yesterday illegally held himself as member of parliament of Bawku Central, is NOT a citizen of the Republic of Ghana and was not “qualified to have contested the seat” in the first place. This ruling is victory to the rule of law and a disgrace to all manner of fraudulent politicians who smuggle themselves by paying their way into public office through the corridors of various corrupt officials within parties and the electoral commission itself. Perhaps this fraudulent man‘s remainder in parliament has some undercurrents in recent escalations of violent conflicts in the Bawku municipality due to the bitter developments within and outside his own party prior to and immediately after he was declared winner in the parliamentary elections. One Sumaila, the headsman, who exposed this criminal of an MP to the Courts of Ghana has every right to express frustration at the failure of the court to award huge cost to this criminal to deter those who still think they can hold dual nationalities, smuggle themselves into public office, steal, stoke violent conflicts in hitherto peaceful constituencies and when the worst happens, he or she can jump on the next available flight to another country to which he or she holds nationality and leave you and I here to face the consequences of the problems these idiots create.

This ruling by the competence court of jurisdiction brings to the fore a number of questions that the New Patriotic Party, the Electoral Commission and the Courts of Ghana should answer the good people of Bawku and Ghana at large.

Foremost, does this dishonourable man, Dramani-Sakande Adamu want to tell the courts of Ghana and the good people of this country that he did not know that he holds dual citizenship prior to his filing of nomination to contest the primaries and eventually the Bawku Central parliamentary seat?

Also, does Mac Manu, Nana Ohene Ntow and the entire NPP constituency executives of the Bawku Central constituency want us to believe that they were never aware that their candidate was NOT a citizen of Ghana prior to his presentation to the Electoral Commission?

Would the Electoral Commissioner tell us today that his employees in the Bawku Electoral area did not do due diligence in cross-checking the veracity of the vital nomination documents filed by this charlatan before he and his party were cleared to contest the elections?

And to the High Court, why was the man not detained by the Judge immediately after the ruling and handed over to the police for prosecution if the trial Judge had by this ruling declared this man a criminal who engaged in an “illegal” act? These are mind boggling questions that all parties in this fraudulent case must answer to the good people of Ghana.

We expect the man to be arrested and prosecuted immediately for engaging in various acts of dishonesty, fraud and causing financial loss to the state. The man has been in parliament for six months, he had enjoyed lots of financial and other privileges. He had been given a $ 50,000 for a car loan and all these must duly be calculated and made good to the state.

It is pathetic that the NPP, a party that holds herself as the only believer of rule of law, should be in cahoots with this hoaxer to rob the people of Bawku this opportunity to have a fair and legal representation in parliament.

I implore the other aspirants Dramani beat during the NPP primaries in Bawku Constituency to come together and institute fresh legal actions against this man as soon as possible if they are indeed worth their salts.

These idiots and fraudsters who return from abroad with cash in hand ready to pay their way into public office without the legal prerequisites as regards qualification should be exposed at all levels and tried immediately. Vikky Brightt almost got away with this and Ex- President Kuffour , I believe , knew perfectly that the woman was not a citizen of Ghana , but circumvented the constitution to nominate her for vetting. What does the New “Patriotic” Party take Ghanaians for?

President Mills promised to strengthen out institutions to give meaning to a fair legal system. Visiting US President, Obama Barack, reiterated this call at strengthening our institutions as a pillar to democratic governance. The Institutions themselves must on their own show enough commitment at cleaning their acts to win public support at strengthening them and not to leave cracks within their walls that has a direct chaoatic effect on the people as in this specific case against this fraudster.

Long Live the Rule of Law. Long Live Ghana!!

Felix Mawulolo Amegashie