by Godwin A. Allotey
The Ministry of Interior has rejected claims that Deputy Minister, James Agalga, attempted to lure outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey, to take up the position of chairman of the National Peace Council.
Martey in chronicling series of attempts made at buying his conscience to stop criticizing the government, said that in one of such instances, James Agalga made a phone call to him asking him to make himself available to chair the council, as he was assured of the ministry’s support.
But a statement released today [Monday] and signed by the Minister of Interior, Prosper Bani, said such cannot be the case because Mr. Agalga does not have such power.
Prosper Bani in the statement said “according to section 4 (2) and (3) of the National Peace Council Act, 2011, Act 818 the position of the Chairperson of the Peace Council is elective, that is, only members of the Board can elect one of their members as the Chairperson.”
“Hon. James Agalga could not have ‘lobbied’ Rev. Prof. Martey to take up the position of Chairman of the Peace Council in view of the fact that he not clothed with such power in view of the law,” the Minister added.
The statement was however silent on whether or not Mr. Agalga placed a phone call to Rev. Martey, as the clergyman has claimed.
The Minister also said Rev. Martey was nominated by the Christian Council of Ghana as a member of the Board in April 2016.
“Later, the Ministry was informed by a letter from the Christian Council about the decision to withdraw the nomination of Rev. Prof. Martey and the subsequent replacement by Rev. Dr. Adu Gyamf.”
Prof Martey while addressing a conference held at the Ramseyer Training Center at Abetifi, said the deputy Minister had promised to lobby members of the council to throw their weight behind him.
Below is what Rev. Martey said:
“I don’t want any political appointment that is the reason why I rejected the Peace Council appointment. I heard some people also saying that sack him from the Peace Council. I’ve never been a member and I will never ever be a member…Christian Council nominated me to be on that council, I know if I go there something will happen but that thing I don’t know.” “So I told God about it. I don’t do anything without first consulting my friend the Holy Spirit".
Few days to the inauguration of the Peace Council, I had a missed call; I didn’t know the person so I didn’t call back. So the person sent a text message, it was the Deputy Minister of Interior, [James] Agalga. So immediately something said call so I called back.
He was then at the house so he came out. “First I said, yes this is the Rev. Prof. Martey, moderator of the Presbyterian church of Ghana, but you know something, the Holy Spirit blinded his mind so he didn’t even hear that it was the Presby moderator who was talking to him.
The Holy Spirit wanted him to tell me what he has for me, to help me decide whether or not to be a member of the Peace Council.
He said he had a meeting with the Minister of Interior and they both agreed that I become the chairman of the Peace Council.” “…
Before the inauguration of the thing itself, before members will meet for the first time, he said if you know some people give us their names so we talk to them on your behalf.”
Below is the full statement from the Ministry:
REV. PROF. EMMANUEL MARTEY DECEIVES THE PUBLIC ON ‘OFFER’ TO CHAIR NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL
The Ministry of the Interior has been following, with keen interest, wild allegations by Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey on various media platforms that the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Hon. James Agalga, in consultation with the Minister of the Interior, offered him the position as Chairman of the National Peace Council.
According to Section 4 (2) and (3) of the National Peace Council Act, 2011, Act 818 the position of the Chairperson of the Peace Council is elective, that is, only members of the Board can elect one of their members as the Chairperson.
Hon. James Agalga could not have ‘lobbied’ Rev. Prof. Martey to take up the position of Chairman of the Peace Council in view of the fact that he not clothed with such power in view of the law.
As provided by the National Peace Council Act 2011, Act 818, members of the Board of the National Peace Council are nominated by – (a) various religious bodies (b) two persons nominated by the President (c) two other persons nominated by identifiable groups (d) one representative of the National House of Chiefs.
Rev. Prof. Martey was nominated by the Christian Council of Ghana as a member of the Board in April 2016.
Later, the Ministry was informed by a letter from the Christian Council about the decision to withdraw the nomination of Rev. Prof. Martey and the subsequent replacement by Rev. Dr. Adu Gyamfi.
The Ministry wishes to assure the general public that the National Peace Council is a credible institution constituting highly respected eminent persons duly nominated and elected by following the due processes provided by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
To read the full piece from Citi FM, click here.