Tag: Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Former Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has criticized President John Dramani Mahama for introducing the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) committee, describing it as a harmful precedent.

Speaking on Nhyira FM’s ‘Kuro Yi Mu Nsem’ program, host Nana Kwadwo Jantuah inquired about his assessment of Mahama’s administration so far.

In response, the former Minister for Parliamentary Affairs remarked, “It is important they start right so they can end well. He’s not done too badly but there are a few things that need to be discussed. An example is the ORAL. The ORAL is a dangerous precedent he set for the country.”

He elaborated that any fair evaluation of a government requires at least 100 days in office, stating, “To do a proper assessment of every government, you have to wait for the first 100 days. It’s too early to rate Mahama but I have my reservations about a few things.”

Nonetheless, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu argued that at the time the ORAL Committee was constituted, Mahama lacked the legal authority to do so.

“The Operation Recover All Loots was set even when he wasn’t President yet. He was the President-elect and hadn’t been sworn in. So executive authority was not in his hands. He didn’t have that power to establish the ORAL team,” he asserted.

The former Suame legislator pointed out that looting is a criminal act and that only a court has the jurisdiction to determine whether an individual is guilty of such an offense.

“What does it mean to loot?” he asked. “To loot means a person has stolen something which isn’t theirs. So looting is a criminal offense. And before we establish someone has looted something, a court of competent jurisdiction needs to determine whether you have looted.”

He further stated, “The constitution guarantees the right to own property individually or as a collective. If you can’t establish the individual has not created their own wealth but looted, then it is a serious accusation.”

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu maintains that forming the ORAL team was unnecessary and argues that labeling individuals as looters without legal proof amounts to defamation.

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has stressed the significance of acknowledging the pioneers who paved the way for Ghana’s present condition.

He brought attention to the substantial contributions of past leaders such as Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia in cementing Ghana’s democracy and laying its groundwork.

While speaking at an event in Kumasi dedicated to honoring Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, the Majority Leader highlighted the central role the former Prime Minister played in enriching the nation’s democratic principles and propelling its progress.

“Dr. Busia believed in fortifying parliament to counteract dictatorship. Back then, parliament was used to create a lot of disruption in governance. It was used to dethrone chiefs and dismiss judges. He is the reason why post-1966 constitutions have included robust provisions to prevent this. Parliament can’t legislate on matters involving chiefs.”

“Parliament cannot overturn court verdicts. Prior to this, parliament could overturn court rulings. These instances have guided our contemporary approach to governance. By Article 56, parliament cannot enact laws to establish a one-party state. In 1960, we had a one-party state. He is also the reason Article 66 states that a president is limited to two terms. We can’t have a lifelong president who rules indefinitely. Thanks again to Dr. Busia.”

Furthermore, he shed light on specific instances where Dr. Busia contributed to the nation’s advancement and clarified certain misunderstandings and controversies that surrounded his political career.

“Busia was in many ways misunderstood. In the construction of the Akosombo dam, the argument was that as a country, we shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket. If there’s any misfortune, the nation will suffer. So the advocacy at the time was that, Ghana is blessed with so many rivers that traverse almost all the regions, so we could have a dam on Pra, to serve the central region, another on Offinso to serve Ashanti Region, Ankobra to serve the Western Region. That was the advocacy. And yet the whole thing was overturned that Busia didn’t want Akosombo dam to be constructed. When the motorway was going to be constructed, Busia said we shouldn’t do that, and he was misunderstood.”

“The reason which he gave was that it had been estimated that the cement and iron rod that was going to be used on the motorway would be able to build 250,000 two-unit houses. At the time, the housing stock in both Accra and Kumasi was lower than 200,000. So it was like building two cities that would not be occupied at the time, and Busia was lambasted. He insisted that we could do a normal road and not a motorway. Today in Ghana, the housing deficit is in the region of about 1.8 million. Sadly, extreme partisanship and political polarization hamper the celebration of our national heroes. It is my humble plea that as a people, we honour the men and women who blaze the trail regardless of tribe, or religion, or political affiliation,” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu added.

Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, a former chairman of the National Peace Council and ex-bishop of the Methodist Church, also called on stakeholders to assess leaders who have made substantial contributions to nation-building objectively, devoid of political bias, in order to facilitate the study of their contributions for the nation’s benefit.

“We must detach these leaders from our confrontational politics and position them within the realm of education, enabling students to learn from their valuable contributions. This will enable us to replicate their achievements in our socio-political context. What I’m suggesting regarding Dr. Busia applies to other leaders of our nation who have made significant contributions. These are the figures from whom we can glean a lot.”

Anane Agyei, the director of the Busia Institute for Rural and Democratic Development (BIRDD), also endorsed the call for celebrating Dr. Busia.

“45 years after the demise of a person is relatively long enough to forget such a person and all that he stood for, but Busia is survived by the great legacy he left behind,” said Anane Agyei, Executive Director of BIRDD.