Double pay: Govt is in indecent hurry – NDC MPs fight back

The National Democratic Congress Minority in Parliament is accusing the Akufo-Addo-led government of employing every means possible to cow its members, in order to cover up government’s poor performance. “Government must really be in an indecent hurry to divert attention from its failings by this pathetic attempt to cow us into submission,” former deputy Finance Minister, Casiel Ato Forson told journalists on Tuesday. He was on behalf of the Minority, responding to allegations by government that some former government appointees received double salaries when the NDC government was in power . He suggested that the government is using the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police to witch hunt former appointees under the guise of investigating them for fraudulently receiving double pay whilst in office. “It is sad that the hitherto respected and highly professional CID is being forced by excessive political maneuvering and underhand tactics to make that noble organization blunder and lose its credibility,” Mr. Ato Forson who is also the Ranking Member on Finance Committee of Parliament said. According to him, 25 of their members received “strange” letters and phone calls from the CID last week, inviting them to confer with Director of CID, DCOP Mrs. M.Y.T. Addo-Danquah in connection with the double salary issue. “In a bizarre twist”, he narrated, as his colleagues were readying to appear before the CID on Monday, April 9, “the CID called some of our colleagues to inform them that they were no longer required to appear as they had made mistakes with 18 of the 25 Minority MPs originally contacted.” He found something fishy about the invitation and how the number was whittled down from 25 to 7. “Yes, you heard me right. As many as 18 of the 25 invitations have since been withdrawn on the basis of mistakes committed by the Government.” Mr. Ato Forson insisted that “there has been no wrongdoing on our part”. He therefore assured the public that the NDC Minority is ready to submit to the highest standards of accountability any day. “Those assurances given, we know a witch-hunt when we see one. We wish to send a crystal clear message to the Akufo-Addo Government that the Minority will not be intimidated nor cowed into shirking our democratic and constitutional duties. “We shall remain resolute and faithful to our mandate and the high expectations of the people who elected us to represent them in Parliament.” By Isaac Essel |3news.com | Ghana ]]>