Deputy Speaker blasts BNI and says NDC Government Should be Schooled

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Prof. Mike Ocquaye has lambasted the NDC government for their callous treatment of former ministers and officials in the past NPP government. Prof. Ocquaye said “the development of the country should be the priority of the Mills’ administration, rather than chasing ex-government ministers on issues that could have been handled in a more professional way.” Citing the seizure of passports by the BNI as an example, Prof. Mike Ocquaye said “no state agency or institution has the right to hold any Ghanaian incommunicado, no matter the status of that institution,” without legal backing from the law courts. According to him, the Bureau of National Investigations has “flouted the laws of the land and there is a need for them to be schooled again.” Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament referred to the right to counsel for any Ghanaian as enshrined in the constitution, as a basic principle that needs to be adhered to when holding an accused person or suspect in custody. He was of the view that the continued harassment of former government officials by the Mills' administration, is sending out bad signals to the international community. Prof. Ocquaye lamented that while investor confidence in the country has “fallen below average, the economic situation has also worsened thus making the cedi depreciate so fast to the dollar in recent times due to the activities by the current government.” He was appraising the performance of the NDC government in an interview with Peacefmonline during the Emergency Delegates Conference of the NPP held at the Trade Fair Site over the weekend. By Alex Ofei/peacefmonline.com