What was perhaps an ideal platform for Dr. Tony Aidoo, newly-elected officer of the Africa Union 11-member Advisory Board on Corruption, to educate the populace and for once shame his critics by ending the debate about whether he deserves to serve on the Board was rather used by the outspoken NDC stalwart as a launching pad to hurl verbal vituperative at his detractors.
Dr. Tony Aidoo was recently elected member of the 11-member AU Advisory Board on Corruption. He scored 73% at the first voting, after a marathon meeting of the AU Executive Council on the sidelines of the AU summit at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His application was accepted and given the nod based on his pedigree, lobbying by Ghana’s mission in Ethiopia and the improvement in economic and democratic credentials of the Government back home.
Dr. Aidoo would serve for a renewable two-year period together with ten others appointed from other countries in Africa.
But some have questioned his competence on corruption matters, most notably the NPP Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa in the Central Region, PC Appiah Ofori and NPP MP for Okaikoi South Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Nana Akomea.
But in a rare interview with Kwami Sefa-Kayi on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Morning Show, the Head of the Evaluation and Oversight Unit at the Presidency brusquely cut off his host’s attempt at curtsies and ducked a question on what his latest post entails and what additions he will bring to the board as its newest member.
“Massa…let’s cut the chase and come to the point. I know you called me not necessarily because you want to find out more about my election to be on the board…It has to do with what P.C Appiah Ofori and Nana Akomea said about me, so I’m listening to you; just cut the chase and get to the point,” he stated.
The Asikuma Odoben-Brakwa MP told the media that Dr. Aidoo will be of no use to the continent on the Corruption Advisory Board. His reasons are that, Dr. Aidoo lacked the requisite knowledge about what corruption entails and how to eradicate it and wondered what experience Dr. Tony Aidoo will bring on board at the international level.
“If the Board is a Board established to insult people then Tony Aidoo is the right one to represent Ghanaians because his area is insulting people. Tony Aidoo is not known in the fight against corruption so if he goes to serve on the Board what contribution is he going to make?” He asked.
As if to further confirm the misgivings earlier expressed by the NPP MP about his (Tony Aidoo’s) lack of expertise in the field of corruption, the former University of Cape Coast lecturere took the anti-corruption campaigner to the cleaners and to the astonishment of the listening public tersely drop the line on the interviewer.
“Isn’t he the same person who quite recently publicly alleged that the wife was suffering from syphilis?…And you know syphilis and madness is only one step ahead; because if your wife is suffering from syphilis, then that means in all likelihood you were also infected to the point of being syphilitic. And any medical practitioner would tell you that any victim of syphilis has a 99% chance of being mad. Secondly, isn’t he the same P.C Appiah Ofori who heaped insults on the Oguaamanhene? Don’t you recall? Describing him as “Ohene Gyengyan”…So when it comes to insulting behavior, who really insults best?…Gentleman, forget what you are on about; I’ve nothing more to say…bye-bye bye-bye,” Dr Tony Aidoo said and unceremoniously hanged up.
In a related development, Hon P.C Appiah Ofori has emphatically stated that he has nothing against the person of Mr. Tony Aidoo, but only feels that the position requires someone who is well vexed on issues pertaining to corruption.
Speaking on the same platform, the outspoken NPP MP said in his estimation former Chairman of the Public Accounts and former NDC MP for Lower West Akyem, Mr. Silas Mensah, would have been a better candidate to serve on the AU’s Advisory Board on Corruption.
“….he does not know anything pertaining to corruption so he will make mistakes. However, if the committee is to insult people then Dr. Tony Aidoo will be more suitable…. His expertise is not in handling corruption issues. I didn’t say he is useless or good for nothing,” he stressed.