Barton-Odro must resign -PPP
Pressure is mounting on the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cape Coast North and First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro to resign, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in the Martin Amidu versus Waterville case.
Advertisement
The latest to demand the resignation of Mr. Barton-Odro is the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), which wants the MP to first resign from his position as Deputy Speaker to “restore dignity to Parliament”.
In a signed statement by the party’s National Secretary, Mr Kofi Asamoah-Siaw, it said, “We believe that a resignation from him would restore dignity to Parliament especially to the position of Deputy Speaker”.
The PPP further wants Mr. Barton-Odro to step down as an MP “as a sign of respect and remorse for his actions against the State, when he was Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney-General”.
He should also resign as a member of the African Parliament as his continued presence there soils the image of our dear country, Ghana, the PPP statement added.
Mr. Barton-Odro as Deputy A-G, publicly defended the state's failure to file a defence to claims brought against it by Waterville Holdings Ltd. (BVI) and a businessman Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome.
He insisted the state had no case and that attempting to defend the actions brought against it would have resulted in further liabilities. The state, therefore, entered into settlement agreements with the claimants in which tens of millions of dollars were paid to them.
The PPP statement recalled that Mr Barton Oduro played very significant roles that put the state in jeopardy in his handling of the unwarranted claims by Waterville Holdings Limited.
According to the statement, the PPP campaigned on the platform of incorruptible leadership and was, therefore, holding Mr Barton Oduro to this principle.
“We cannot continue to glorify persons whose actions or omissions have injured the state by giving them additional responsibilities especially in positions where they are expected to hold governments or the executive accountable,” the statement added.
Daily Graphic