The Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, has revealed he will vote against the approval of Gifty Twum-Ampofo as Deputy Minister-designate for Education.
Mr Suhuyini said the decision stems from his dissatisfaction with the nominee’s handling of questions about a CDD Corruption Watch assessment of the last New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries.
The lawmaker, in a statement, revealed his decision has already been communicated to the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu.
According to him, the nominee admitted to offering/bribing NPP delegates in the Abuakwa North Constituency with GH₵1,500 and a flat-screen television each during the party’s primaries.
However, she lacked “candor and what seems to be a conscience” when questioned at her vetting on Thursday, June 10, 2021.
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“When her attention was drawn to the fact that in 2016, when she was less than a year old as an MP from the classroom and perhaps not as resourceful, that she alleged and criticized her competitor, the then NDC candidate for Abuakwa North Victor Smith for attempting to buy votes in her constituency by giving two NPP executives Ghc 1,000 cedis each to join his campaign, she categorically denied that under oath,” part of the statement added.
To Mr Suhuyini, ‘her lack of conscience’ is a threat to the country’s democracy, hence his decision not to approve her nomination.
Read the full statement:
I have just respectfully communicated my decision to vote against the nomination of Hon. Gifty Twum-Ampofo, Deputy Minister-Designate for Education, to the chairman of the appointments committee.
My decision is borne out of my dissatisfaction with the nominee’s handling of questions regarding a CDD’s Corruption Watch assessment of the last NPP parliamentary primaries.
In that report, the nominee is said to have admitted to offering/bribing NPP delegates in the Abuakwa North constituency with Ghc 1,500 and a TV flat screen each.
She repeated during her vetting that her conduct, which she downplayed, was not meant to induce and indeed did not induce the delegates.
When her attention was drawn to the fact that in 2016, when she was less than a year old as an MP from the classroom and perhaps not as resourceful, that she alleged and criticised her competitor, the then NDC candidate for Abuakwa North, Victor Smith of attempting to buy votes in her constituency by giving two NPP executives Ghc 1,000 cedis each to join his campaign, she categorically denied that under oath.
I’m, therefore, disappointed in the nominee’s lack of candor and what seems to be a conscience that is dead to the threat of bribery and corruption to our democracy.