Bagbin has the mark of provoking controversy -Blay

Bagbin has the mark of provoking controversy -Blay

By Mohammed Awal

Mr. Freddie Blay, a former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament in the erstwhile NPP regime, has described as “unfortunate” his former colleague, Alban Sumana Kingford Bagbin’s sentiments that MPs take bribes to articulate the views of some individuals and organizations on the floor of the House.

Mr. Freddie Blay

In an interview with The Chronicle at his office, Mr. Blay, who is also vying for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) first vice chairmanship position, described Mr. Bagbin, MP for Nadowli/Kaleo, as someone who has the mark of “provoking controversy.”

Mr. Blay further noted that he had never seen people (MPs) being bribed in his days as a legislator to influence outcome of debates before the House, adding that what Mr. Bagbin said was “unfortunately mischievous and not fair.”

He also denied allegations of him (Freddie Blay) dragging individuals who accused MPs of taking bribes to the Privileges Committee of Parliament, arguing that it was “not the duty of the First Deputy Speaker of the legislature to haul these people to the committee.”

The Daily Graphic in its edition of 10/3/2014 reported the former minority leader, who also had a stint as majority and minority leader of the House, as saying that MPs take bribes to argue for their masters.

The article reported Mr. Bagbin as stating that evidence to that effect existed, adding that the practice had persisted because of the lack of laid-down rules and ethics on lobbying in the country.

“The reality is that MPs are Ghanaians and there is evidence that some MPs take bribes and come to the floor and try to articulate the views of their sponsors.
“This is because in Ghana we have not developed what we call lobbying. There are rules; there are ethics regarding lobbying and we in Ghana think that lobbying is taking money, giving it to MPs and writing pieces for them to go articulate on the floor. That is bribery,” he was quoted as saying by the state media.

Provide proof

However, the Minority leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in an interview with Citi FM, a local radio station in Accra, challenged Mr. Bagbin to furnish the House with evidence to prove his claim or withdraw it.

“He should come with better and further particulars about what he knows that some of us don’t know,” he said, adding “if the allegations are true, some interrogations have to be conducted into the matter to ascertain the truth.

“If what he said cannot be substantiated, then certainly, we will have to put him to the task of reversing what he is alleged to have said,” the Minority leader asserted.
Bagbin U-turn

Beleaguered to substantiate his bribery claims, Mr. Bagbin, appears to have bowed to pressure, denying he made those comments and that he had been misquoted “completely.”

He claimed on Adom FM, another local radio station in Accra, that his comments were taken out of context and that the entire media reportage was also unfair t o him.