Rawlings stopped Amidu from resigning on 4 occasions

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to initiate processes to find a successor to the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, to continue the battle against corruption.

Mr Amidu resigned last Monday as the Special Prosecutor, citing interferences from the presidency and some government officials following his investigations into the infamous Agyapa deal.  

“I should not ordinarily be announcing my resignation to the public myself but the traumatic experience I went through from 20th October, 2020 to 2nd November, 2020 when I conveyed in a thirteen-page letter the conclusions and observations on the analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment on the Report on Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions and Other Matters Related Thereto to the President as Chairman of the National Security Council cautions against not bringing my resignation as the Special Prosecutor with immediate to the notice of the Ghanaian public and the world,” Mr Amidu stated in his resignation letter.

However, in a statement signed by the Communications Director of the party, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, the NPP, which described Amidu’s resignation as shocking, urged President Akufo-Addo to quickly find a replacement for the Citizen Vigilante. 

“The NPP is assured that H.E. the President, has created the largest space for civil society participation in governance in the Fourth Republic.

As architect of the repeal of the Criminal Libel under former President Kufuor, he enabled the media to modernise and blossom, creating not only a culture of aggressive inquiry into public affairs but also numerous jobs and opportunities for growth and self-actualisation NPP urges H.E. the President to accept the resignation of the Special Prosecutor and initiate processes to find a successor to continue the sensitive and important job of realising the true ambit of the powers of the OSP in order to ensure the success of the fight against corruption,” the party said.  

The NPP said it received with shock and dismay, the news of the resignation of the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, “because Mr Amidu chose to walk away from the golden opportunity of establishing a brand new effective agency, having had the best part of three years to demonstrate and cement his undoubted anti-corruption credentials in doing so. The Presidency and the Ministry of Finance, the evidence indicates clearly, has done everything to make the OSP operational, effective and independent. The decision to appoint Martin Amidu himself is a clear indication that the President did not intend for the Office to be headed by a lackey.” 

According to the NPP, Mr Amidu has not resigned because any investigation of his has been interfered with by the presidency or any member of government.  

“Since 2018, he has been offered all the room and support he needed by law and mandate and every money he has requested to set up an entirely new institution, which comes with its own challenges, and to operate the Office independently and efficiently. No political office holder has interfered in the administration of that Office. Indeed, that his actions appear to impact both the incumbent and immediate past governments vindicate the wisdom of the mandate and powers of the Office which he occupied. An Office hinged on independence of thought and action,” it said.  

Meanwhile President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed that all salaries owed Mr Amidu since his assumption of office be paid in accordance with the law.

This was stated in a statement from the Office of the President accepting Mr Amidu’s resignation from the office.

The President’s directive to the Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, noted that “The President has directed me to ensure that all emoluments and benefits due you under law are paid to you accordingly.”

Martin Amidu, in his resignation announcement, disclosed that no attempts were made by the Government to ensure that he was paid in his two years of service.

Ghana| Atinkaonline.com

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