North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said in response to the $28 million MPs car loan that an image has been formed that legislators are in the house for personal benefit.
Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, a Tamale Central legislator, has advised him to return the two vehicles he purchased using members’ credit facilities if he is a principled person.
He characterized Ablakwa’s stance on the car loan facility as disingenuous.
He charged Mr. Ablakwa with a lack of principles in this case.
Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has presented a loan arrangement worth $28 million to parliament for approval, awaiting review by the Finance Committee. The facility was approved by the House on Thursday, July 15.
This amount will be used to acquire 275 cars for members of the 8th Parliament.
This proposal has split views among members of the Ghanaian public and even among legislators as to whether or not this is a wise course of action in light of Ghanaians’ tremendous economic difficulties.
On Wednesday, July 14, Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that he and many of his colleagues from across the political divide had made headway in convincing parliament to reject the MPs’ 28 million car loan facility.
He said that he and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) colleague Patrick Boamah cosponsored a private member’s resolution that was accepted for urgent discussion this week by the Rt. Hon. Speaker.
“Glad we made major progress today in our efforts to have Parliament reject the US$28million MPs’ car loan facility.
“Really elated that my colleague NPP MP, Patrick Boamah, and I cosponsored a private member’s motion which the Rt. Hon. Speaker admitted for urgent debate this week,” he said in a tweet.
Mr Boamah, who serves as Vice-Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, has said in an interview that if given the chance, he would urge legislators to reject the facility.
“For me, if I have my way I will tell my colleague MPs to reject that facility for the simple reason that all the other arms of government vehicles are procured for them without having to go through this process where the media is always on the back of MP s for contracting a loan.
“I see no reason why we should be the target of this public smear campaign,” he told reporters on Wednesday, July 7.
Commenting on this development, Mr. Murtala said “I remember in the coffee shop he called me while he was standing with the contact person of one of the companies and he was asking me whether I will take my car from that company, so where is the principle in this? When did he come to the realization that stealing the vehicle is unconscionable?
“He has gotten two cars and a new MP who is coming who doesn’t even have a motorbike, whose constituency is farther than his, whose constituency is broader than his, who also needs to discharge his responsibilities by being mobile, such an MP should not be given a car? Let us get serious in this country.”
“This is not a principle. Then he should return the other two vehicles,” he said on Thursday, July 15.
“Okudzeto is not just a colleague Member of Parliament, myself and him we have come a very long way. He has taken the loan two times. I went to Parliament with him at the same time when he took the car loan. In the Seventh Parliament, I wasn’t there but he took the loan.
“Where, therefore, is the principle in all of this? Since when did he realize that taking the car was unconscionable. Who is he attempting to dupe?
“This is not a principle position. I remember in the coffee shop he called me while he was standing with the contact person of one of the companies and he was asking me whether I will take my car from that company, so where is the principle in this? When did he come to the realization that taking the car is unconscionable?”
Contributing to a Thursday, July 15 discussion on whether or not to accept the loan, Mr. Ablakwa said, “The image is generated that the 275 Members of Parliament in this house are here only for our benefit.” We are not here for our own benefit; we are here for the benefit of the Ghanaian people.
“We went to the people and offered ourselves with a vision to serve them and to fulfill their hopes and aspirations, and to achieve for our collective good a country built on success, progress, and development, in which our people will be well and duly served, and in which their welfare will always be our primary concern.
“That is what we wake up every morning to do. We need to reassure the good people of this country that it has never been about us.”
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SOURCE: ATLFM ONLINE
