Politics of Wednesday, 4 December 2019

Source: mynewsgh.com

2019-12-04

Founder and leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Mr. Akwasi Addai Odike has called on the Office of the Special Persecutor (OSP) to investigate President Akufo-Addo, the Attorney General and the Local Government Minister over the a cancellation of the December 17 referendum claiming the decision has caused the State to lose money.

“The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu should have the interest to investigate Nana Akufo-Addo, the AG and the Local Minister because I believe Ghana pumped money into the election and we will need to investigate it”, Mr. Akwasi Addai Odike spoke on Kumasi-based Otec afternoon political talk show “Dwaberem”

According to him, though, the cost of the botched referendum is yet to be known by him, he is of a strong opinion that Ghana will lose millions of cedis as a result of the decision to halt the process.

“In the first place, President Akufo-Addo has no business to cancel the referendum after handing everything to the Electoral Commission”, Mr. Akwasi Addai Odike argued during panel discussion hosted by Agya Wusu Ansah and monitored by MyNewsGh.com.

Background

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Sunday, December 1, 2019, called off the holding of the Referendum of 17th December, 2019, citing the lack of a broad, national consensus amongst key stakeholders and the populace.

President Akufo-Addo has, thus, instructed the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama, MP, who is spearheading the process, on behalf of government, to abort the process, and see to the withdrawal of the bills for the amendment of the Constitution, both in respect of article 243(1) and Article 55(3).

Addressing the nation on Sunday, 1st December, 2019, the President indicated the attainment of a broad consensus, for him, on a matter as important as the amendment of an entrenched provision of the Constitution, is critical.

“I do not believe that such an amendment should be driven as a party matter. There has to be a clear national consensus and agreement amongst the populace that a particular entrenched provision no longer serves the interest of the people, and, thus, has to be removed,” he said.