News
Stop the attacks or I’ll defend my integrity – Martin Amidu cautions
Former Special Prosecutor, Mr.Martin Amidu has sent a caution to government, to stop appointees attacking him, else, he will come out to defend his integrity.
Speaking in an interview with Citi FM’s Umaru Sanda Amidu, he said, the Minister of Finance, Mr.Ken Ofori-Atta was in his house on the day he was writing his report on the Agyapa royalties deal, and that he does not want to wash dirty linens in the public.
“The minister for Finance has been my friend , why will I go for him, when I was writing the report didn’t he come to this house, was he not here on the 21st October, what did I tell him, why is he churning out information about me, and budget and all that should I come out?,” he quizzed.
He further said, “Let’s stop it , and I say let’s stop it before we wash our dirty linen in public.”
“I have said that I was not going to talk to the press since my resignation. I’m being pushed by so-called responses to me which contain blatant falsehood. But I do not want anybody to blame me when I speak out and it becomes unpalatable. So, either the attacks stop or I’ll defend my integrity. It is something I won by dint of hard work from PNDC till date. So I will not allow anybody, not even the President, to pull that integrity into the mud,” he said.
“Anyone who tries to fight corruption must be aware from the beginning that corruption will fight back, and from all that is going on, corruption is fighting back and it’s demonstrating that the whole issue about fighting corruption is only rhetoric and the time of reckoning has come. And nobody should push me because if I decide to respond, I will do so without fear or favour even to the extent of losing my life for speaking the truth and defending the Constitution of Ghana.”
Responding to claims by the Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong, who reportedly said Mr. Amidu had medical records from Germany which he has been concealing.
“Kennedy Agyapong is known in Ghana as someone who spews lies at any person of integrity who tries to fight corruption. So I am not surprised that he stooped that low to make accusations without any foundation.”
“I have never been to Germany on any occasion and let alone for a medical check, therefore, his allegations are false. And if he has any document to the contrary, he should produce them because my passports are available as evidence.”
Mr. Amidu further alleged that there have been threats on his life and property, saying, President Akufo-Addo should be held responsible if he is harmed.
“Now I am a private citizen and nobody can control me and I have the constitutional right to defend myself and the Constitution of Ghana as by law established. All these threats of murdering me and burning houses, I am aware…I know the persons behind it and the President will be responsible for anything that happens to me,” he told Umaru Sanda Amadu.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
