The Minority Leader is accusing the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) of misleading Parliament in a cocaine allegation case that is increasingly becoming a tale of mistaken identity.
Haruna Iddrisu had warned the president to withdraw the Deputy Agric Minister nominee George Oduro because of a damning report by the BNI which linked the nominee to a drug related offence in 2007.
Even though the Minority had boycotted the vetting of the deputy ministerial nominees, the leader minced no words in demanding the withdrawal of the Deputy Minister of Agric.
"In respect of the nominees, I am compelled to request that the president should consider withdrawing the nomination of one of the appointees named George Oduro because there is a damning BNI report on him,” he said on the floor of Parliament Thursday.
The report said the nominee George Oduro was on May 2008 mentioned as a principal suspect in a cocaine syndicate. He was supposed to have travelled on a Canadian passport and had an accomplice named Nelson Troy Edward, the report suggested.
The BNI further recommended that the nominee be withdrawn to prevent future embarrassment to the country.
It turned out that the drug suspect, may not be the nominee but has similar name- George Kwame Oduro.
After his vetting by a one-sided parliament, Thursday, the Deputy Agric Minister nominee, George Oduro told Joy News he never dealt in cocaine neither has he travelled to Canada before in his entire life.
He also stated emphatically that he does not know or ever met the supposed accomplice Troy Edward.
Even more dramatic, the nominee said his name is George Boahene Kofi Oduro and not George Kwame Oduro as the BNI report indicated. He wondered why the BNI will write any such report without seeking to hear from him.
"I have never ever travelled on any Canadian passport, neither have i ever dealt in any narcotics trade," he told Joy News Editor Dzifa Bampoh.
In a response the Minority Leader indicted the BNI for misleading him and the Minority.
"This is more an indictment on the integrity and professional work of the BNI. As part of our work at the Appointment Committee we normally will request for background information of the nominees from the BNI, police, Ghana Revenue Authority," he pointed out.
He said his comments on the matter was informed by the report he received from the BNI in a letter dated 23 March 2017.
If there is a case of mistaken identity, he said the BNI must take responsibility for it.
"If we erred, we erred on the caution of the BNI, not on our own," he stated.
Source: JFM/Ghana
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oh my God and these are the people governing our beloved country please God Almighty forgive us but we pray never again should we allow these people come to power
It's unfortunate that these Northerners are always running ahead of themselves just to get noticed.Look at Suhuniyi.The guy is always making the most noise so he will catch peoples' attention. And their arrogance is so so unbearable. Pipe down people.You were trained at the tax-payer's expense and you must exhibit humility.
All you are looking for is an opportunity to make noise and you got one. Who mislead you ? BNI? please please you wanted to make news and it has backfired. NDC and false news and propaganda.
I will not be surprised if there are many Ghanaians bearing the name Haruna Iddrisu who are involved in very serious criminal activities. Politicians are have so blinded by dirty politics that they do not crosscheck on any issue raised now. It is such a pity and a big disgrace to the so-called Minority Leader
Please Minority leader do apologise to the nominee and the entire nation. u rushed koraaa dodo. yes, the BNI erred but you also did not do due diligence.u were in a hurry to disgrace the NPP BUT YOU SEE YOUR DISGRACE? Haruna iddrisu paaaaaaa nie?
YES,Bawumiah proven right again.NDC guys never read and if they do they dont understand!oh my word!!
Will these NDC people on the appointment Committee ever learn? This is another clear case of defamation of character. If the BNI brings you a report, do you not compare the name on the report and the name of the nominee as submitted by the Presidency to find out if it is the same name? In Ghana a lot of people have similar names but not the same persons. Haruna Iddrisu must apologize to the nominee and Parliament. in fact he was rushing to make this statement at a time he was not supposed to that is why he was ruled out of order by the Speaker. These NDC MPs on the appointment committee must take their time, They must not see nominees as 'people who should be drilled' because they are going to occupy position as Ministers or Deputy Ministers. Some of these nominees are better resourced and well placed in society than some of them. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR UTTERANCES.
We should stop embarrassing ourselves in Ghana parliament:the world is watching us.
Now you see your real size. Is this the viable opposition you claim for your party? Firs, Ayariga did not cross check his bribery allegation before he embarrassed parliament and by extension, the whole nation. Then comes the all-knowing minority leader himself also misleading parliament and Ghanaians. The saddest part is that he is not ready to eat humble pies but is arrogantly passing his inefficiencies on to the BNI. No wonder your party is fast disintegrating. Lies and half-truths do not build a society.
You guys have consistently thrown the term "due diligence" to our faces. Due diligence indeed!! Stop blaming others for your failure to proceed with all "deliberate speed" and not in your hurried quest to be heard. The grand standing has become too much in our politics.