Betty must explain her resignation – Prof. Ocquaye

The opposition New Patriotic Party is mounting pressure on the former Minister of Education Betty Mould-Iddrisu to give reasons for her resignation.

Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu’s resignation on Monday comes barely a week after Martin Amidu was fired as the Attorney General for what the Castle said was “misconduct” in the midst of his determination to retrieve over GH¢50 million paid to an NDC financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, as judgement debt.

Madam Iddrisu was the Attorney General during the controversial arrangement that led to the payment. The NPP minority MPs had called on the president to fire her.

Even though she has resigned on her own, the minority in parliament are not satisfied. Second Deputy speaker of parliament Professor Mike Ocquaye is demanding detailed explanation.

He told Joy News’ Parliamentary Correspondent, Sammy Darko that Mrs Mould-Iddrisu must explain her exact role in the payment of the huge amount.

“A resignation does not absolve from either legal or moral liability. A resignation does not answer all the questions that the public needs to know.”

Prof. Ocquaye suspects that certain disclosures were made in the meeting held at the Castle, where Mr Amidu was reported to have misconducted himself in the presence of the president.

He said it would be “farcical and it would be a joke” for the former Education Minister to keep the reasons from the public and wait till she is invited by a mandated body before making any disclosures.

Meanwhile, a pressure group, the Progressive Nationalist Forum, is demanding the prosecution of Betty Mould Iddrissu and Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffour prosecuted for causing financial loss to the state.

The PNF accuses Mrs. Iddrissu of committing an offence by facilitating the payment of the money to Alfred Woyome.

It also wants Deputy A-G Ebo Barton Odro removed and Martin Amidu reinstated within 17 days to pursue the legal process to recover the sum of 51 million cedis to the state.

For the time being, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, the Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance, told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh that there was merit in the call by Prof. Ocquaye.

“Yes I think there is merit. First of all on grounds of accountability to the public, the public has the right to know and this is a matter of great interest.”

Source: myjoyonline.com