No Doubt, Some Of Us Took Bribes – NDC MP on approving nominees

A shocking revelation has emerged from a National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) admitting that some of his colleagues were bribed by ministerial nominees prior to the secret ballot on Friday, March 24.

The admission has left the party in disarray as their MPs failed to reject the six ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, despite a directive from the party leadership to do so.

Following a heated debate on the report of the Appointments Committee on Thursday, March 23, the motion was put to secret voting the following day. All the nominees eventually sailed through, much to the chagrin of the NDC and its leadership.

Cape Coast South MP George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, speaking on TV3’s The Keypoints on Saturday, March 25, revealed that some of the Majority of MPs had admitted that “some of our people have been bought.”

He further stated that the matter was taken seriously by the leadership of the Minority Caucus, and some of his colleagues were approached and interrogated.

Ricketts-Hagan added that some of the NDC MPs involved in the bribery denied the allegations and said “all sorts of things.” He called for an investigation into the incident, saying that if not unraveled, some of them would no longer engage in any voting process in the House.

The revelation has left many in the NDC disappointed and calling for action to be taken. Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson had expressed confidence in having some members of the Majority on their side, given a precedent that saw the election of the Speaker of Parliament in 2021. He was taken aback by the outcome and expressed his disappointment.

The issue of bribery in Ghanaian politics has been a recurring theme, and this recent incident has once again highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in the country’s democratic processes.

It remains to be seen what actions will be taken to address this issue and prevent its recurrence in the future.