Parliament takes serious view of Bagbin’s claim
Members of Parliament (MPs) Tuesday described the allegation made by the Member of Parliament for Nadowli/Kaleo, Mr Alban Bagbin, to the effect that some members took bribes as serious and called on the leadership of the House to address the matter pronto.
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They described the issue as one of national importance and a serious indictment on MPs.
The MP for Shai/Osudoku, Mr David Tetteh Assumeng (NDC), who was the first to raise the issue, sought the guidance of the Second Deputy Speaker, Mr Joe Ghartey, who was in the Speaker’s Chair, on how the matter should be addressed.
The MP for Nkoranza North, Major Derek Oduro (retd), who was the next to express his views on the matter, said the allegation by Mr Bagbin, as carried by the Daily Graphic, was “very serious”.
He said the allegation, made by no less a person than Mr Bagbin, a former Minority and Majority Leader, could not be taken lightly and added that Mr Bagbin should be invited to “clear the air” on the issue.
“I have been a member of this House for quite some time. In fact, this is my third term in this House and I have not seen any bribe paid to anyone,” he said, adding that Mr Bagbin needed to prove the allegation.
The MP for Wa West, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh (NDC), said given the gravity of the issue, the leadership should engage with the Speaker and his two deputies on the best way to address it.
The MP for Sunyani, Mr Ignatius Baffuor Awuah (NPP), said since Mr Bagbin was not in the House, discussions on the floor should be suspended and the matter referred to the leadership to determine which path to chart.
The Leader of the Majority, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor (NDC, Nandom), said the issue had come to the attention of the leadership of the House and that a meeting had already been held to discuss it.
He said another meeting had been scheduled with the Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, on the issue and after that the House would be informed about the final decision on the matter.
Mr Ghartey assured members that the issue would not be swept under the carpet.
Background
At a two-day seminar in Koforidua for representatives of 40 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who had sought to influence policy by having laws passed or changing laws thought to be inimical to national development, the MP for Nadowli/Kaleo, Mr Bagbin, had confirmed that some MPs took bribes to articulate the views of some individuals and organisations on the floor of Parliament.
He said evidence to that effect existed and added that the practice had persisted because of the lack of laid down rules and ethics on lobbying in the country.
The workshop was organised by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund, a donor-funded organisation which seeks to promote an enabling environment for the development and growth of the private sector through advocacy, and STAR Ghana, another such organisation.
Governance experts
Following the remarks by Mr Bagbin, three governance experts have called for investigations into Mr Bagbin’s claims.
They are of the view that issues of corruption in Parliament should not be swept under the carpet but rather every effort should be made to get to the bottom of the matter.
The experts are Mr Daniel Batidam, the Executive Director of the African Parliamentarian Network Against Corruption (APNAC); Dr Franklin Oduro, the Deputy Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), and Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, the Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG).
