"Causing financial loss to the state" !
The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress, Prof J.E. Atta Mills, has expressed the party’s opposition to any move to either amend or repeal the law on “wilfully causing financial loss to the state”.
He said the move was unnecessary now, in the face of the myriad of problems confronting the nation which needed to be addressed immediately.
Prof Mills was reacting to a statement signed by the general secretaries of four political parties with representation in Parliament to the effect that the law should either be amended or repealed, as contained in the story in the Daily Graphic of yesterday.
He expressed surprise at the way the general secretaries had chosen to discuss the amendment or repeal of that law, instead of addressing problems such as the high unemployment rate, corruption, nepotism and the general high cost of living resulting from bad governance.
“There are issues of priority importance. I don’t know why all of a sudden stress is being put on the repeal or amendment of that law,” he said, adding, “We need to do a lot of consultation before we, as a party, take decisions on sensitive issues such as the repeal or amendment of this law.”
Four political parties with representation in Parliament were reported to have agreed to initiate moves towards repealing the law on “wilfully causing financial loss to the state”. The parties are the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC).
A statement signed by the general secretaries of the parties and policy analysts at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra on Tuesday and read by the General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, said the parties were convinced that the continued existence of the law on the statute books was inimical to any genuine effort to promote reconciliation and goodwill among political parties and political players in the country.
Anxious supporters of the NDC yesterday besieged the Kuku Hill Office of Prof Mills to seek audience with the flag bearer on the reasons for the repeal or amendment of the law. Prof Mills described as ridiculous the reasons assigned to the decision of the general secretaries and asked, “Since when have they realised that the continued existence of the law on the statute books was inimical to any genuine effort to promote reconciliation and goodwill among political parties and players in the country?”
“Where were these general secretaries for seven years when people were incarcerated and some are still being persecuted,” he asked.
He, however, reiterated his stance on peace and the rule of law, saying: “We are still committed to the rule of law and harbour no vengeance against anybody.
Our position on and support for the rule of law is without question.” Prof Mills stated, however, that “if we come to power and realise that people have fallen foul of the law, the appropriate laws will be applied”.
CREDIT : Daily Graphic
