The Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Prof. Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi has extolled Martin Amidu, describing him as an astute person committed to protecting the public purse and has no doubt he will work efficiently and effectively in prosecuting corrupt officials regardless of their political affiliation.
According to Prof. Gyimah-Boadi, Martin Amidu is the best person to occupy the position of the Special Prosecutor as he has over the years demonstrated through his work and life that he is somebody who is “very courageous, tenacious, dogged, and somebody who is steadfastly committed to promoting the public interest, litigating on behalf of the public and on behalf of the state at his own cost”.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi further commended President Akufo-Addo for a wise decision made and expressed his confidence in Martin Amidu saying, he has no doubt in his expertise in administering justice by prosecuting both NPP and NDC corrupt officials.
“I am particularly glad that he does not come from the president’s party because some of us have been concerned about the president appointing people from within his party to some of these state regulatory bodies, to some of these agencies that are set up to oversight the executive branch itself", he told GhanaWeb.
“So from that standpoint the fact that he is NDC and has NDC background and he was still NDC within an NDC government when he exposed malfeasance in the part of the officials in the NDC government.
“So if somebody who has demonstrated that sort of capabilities and willingness to go after his people, I have no doubt that he will also similarly go after NPP appointees despite the fact that he’s been appointed by an NPP president”, Prof. Gyimah-Boadi added.
The appointment of Martin Amidu came as a shock to many as they thought either Lawyer Akoto Ampaw or Philip Addison would be nominated as the Special Prosecutor. The opposition NDC also argued that the Special Prosecutor will certainly be someone aligned to the NPP who will witch hunt NDC members. But it seems the President swerved Ghanaians with the appointment of "Citizen Vigilante".
General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia believes the appointment of Martin Amidu is an indication that the NPP has an agenda against the NDC.
Background
Martin Amidu, a known member of the National Democratic Congress and a former Attorney General was on Thursday, January 11 named by the President as the Special Prosecutor. He is expected to be vetted and approved by Parliament in the coming days.
Mr Amidu graduated from the University of Ghana in 1976 with an LLB (Hons) and the Ghana Law School in 1978 with a Barrister/Solicitor at Law (BL) degree. He also holds a Master of Arts Degree in Conflict Resolution from the Antioch University, Ohio, USA. The former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice joined the NDC in 1992.
He was the party’s vice-presidential candidate in the December 2000 presidential elections which the NDC presidential candidate, the late Professor J.E.A Mills, lost to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) John Agyekum Kufuor.
