EMERGING TRENDS of vandalism

Member of Parliament for Manhyia, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh


EMERGING TRENDS of vandalism by foot-soldiers of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and apparent acts of lawlessness by big shots of government have alarmed the Member of Parliament for Manhyia, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, compelling him to ask whether there was a leader in charge of this country.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with DAILY GUIDE on a wide range of governance issues, including constitutional breaches, acquisition of lands by private individuals and the relentless harassment of the Chief Justice, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh said the country has virtually been “thrown to the dogs”, as it appeared there was nobody in charge to crack the whip in the midst of wide-spread lawlessness.

“I sometimes wonder who is in charge of this country because everybody is allowed to do whatever they like,” he stated.

NDC foot-soldiers have been on rampage ever since President Mills assumed office, destroying and seizing public property and chasing away District Chief Executives (DCEs) with reckless abandon, without any official reprimand or prosecution.

Dr. Prempeh said he was not entirely surprised at the current happenings in the country because “all the things going round revolve around President Mills”.

“If people see the leader flouting the constitution with ease, why wouldn’t subordinates flout the laws of the country?” the Manhyia MP asked rhetorically.

President Mills, he contended, sowed seeds of lawlessness when he decided to set aside emoluments and gratuities (ex-gratia) which had been legally approved by the legislature and the executive for public office holders under Article 71 of the 1992 constitution.

Such public office holders included members of the Judiciary, MPs and ministers of state.

Dr. Prempeh was also at a loss as to why the President and indeed many top officials of his administration or past NDC government officials who have acquired government lands would allow the National Security Coordinator, Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, to usurp the powers of the Lands Commission and spew propaganda that persons connected to the Kufuor administration had illegally acquired government lands.

“President Mills should tell Ghanaians how he acquired his plot of land opposite Tema Development Corporation (TDC) and let’s ask who bought the government lands at Cantonments, Independence Avenue and East Legon,” Dr. Prempeh dared.

The Ghanaian Observer newspaper recently revealed the list of individuals connected to the NDC or the ruling party who had acquired government lands like private persons or people in the previous NPP administration.

The paper indicated that National Security Advisor Brigadier Joseph Nunoo Mensah owns one of such lands at the Airport West Area of Accra and that it was granted to him by the Lands Commission in 1978.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings’ 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) also owns lands under the South Legon Development Scheme of the Lands Commission, the newspaper claimed.

The land was granted to the DWM in 1998 when Mr. Rawlings was President of the Republic and Nana Konadu, First Lady.

Council of State member and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Peter Tinganaba Nanfuri, purchased a state land at the North Legon Residential area in 1985 when the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) was in power.

Again, Council of State Chairman Prof. Kofi Awonoor acquired one of such lands at North Legon Residential area in 1987, it is claimed.

Also among a long list of people connected to the ruling NDC who have acquired state lands was the late Edward Kojo Salia, one time Minister of Communications who has land at North Legon Residential Area in 1998.

Col. Gbevlo-Lartey, Dr. Prempeh submitted, has been permitted to dabble in areas outside his original jurisdiction of ensuring internal security and the peace of this country.

According to Dr. Prempeh, who is also a former student leader, all these things are happening because President Mills has been breaching the constitution, as some of his actions have already been declared by courts as unconstitutional.

It would be recalled that President Mills decided to slash the emoluments and gratuity (ex-gratia) of the MPs and Ministers of state, among others, who served in the Fourth Parliament between 2005 and January 6, 2009, following street agitations by politically contrived groups like the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) led by ‘agitator-general’ Kwesi Pratt.

He set up the Ishmael Yamson Committee to review what the country’s legislature had already approved, an action which had been described as sheer populism and breach of constitution by some political analysts including the former NDC MP for Jomoro and now Ghana’s Ambassador to South Africa, Lee Ocran and John Ndebugre, former MP for Zebilla.

By Awudu Mahama
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