Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey
The outgoing Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt Rev Professor Emmanuel Martey, has dropped the names of the politicians behind the alleged attempted $100,000 bribe offered to him.
Rev Martey, who dropped a bombshell on Tuesday that some politicians offered him $100,000, a V8 cross country vehicle and a house at the plush Trasacco community in Accra, is said to have revealed the names of the politicians concerned to the leadership of the church.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the church, Rev George Larbi, told Adom FM yesterday that the outgoing moderator after being approached by the politician came to the office and narrated the whole issue to workers in his office.
“The moderator told us in the office and even named the politician who brought the V8 and other gifts to him, the person is a known politician in Ghana…,” Rev Larbi revealed.
Asked if he could name the politician who approached Prof Martey with the gifts, the Presby spokesperson said he had not been mandated to come public with the name, but was sure the moderator would in due course name that notable politician who attempted gagging him with the mouth-watering gifts.
“He has not mandated me to come out with the name. If at certain times he wants to come public with the name, he would come out himself and publicly name the person,” he said.
NDC Attack
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is up in arms against the moderator for going public with the allegation.
A day after the Reverend Minister had come out to expose attempts by some politicians to bribe and gag him, leading members of the governing party set in motion an attacking machine, going all out on him.
The party chieftains yesterday took to the airwaves in an attempt to frame up the moderator, castigating him for going to town with the allegation.
Even though he failed to mention names of the said politician who had attempted to influence him ostensibly to keep him quiet in his constant criticism of the NDC administration, the issue seems to have ruffled the party with calls for his head.
Mud Throwing
This was after former Public Relations Officer (PRO), Emmanuel Osei Acheampong, who was sacked from the position sometime in the year 2013, emerged from nowhere to challenge the moderator’s claim of rejecting the said bribe.
Strangely, Osei Acheampong who seems to harbour some form of bitterness against the man of God, said Rt Rev Martey rather took bribe from a major opposition leader to influence the church’s sermons and pursue the agenda of the opposition party which some had sought to link to the NPP, a claim the party vehemently denies.
Mr Osei Acheampong claimed, “On July 28, 2013, around 8:15 pm, he invited me to the office of one of the leading opposition parties not the ruling government. When I got there he had received the $100,000 and the V8 he is claiming to have rejected. And he gave me $50,000. I am speaking on authority that he received the money,” he told Kasapa FM, thereby setting the stage for the NDC to attack the moderator.
Interestingly, it has turned out that the disgruntled former PRO was relieved from his duties in June 2013, thereby raising doubts about the credibility of his claims and whether he was not being used by some forces to run down the moderator, considering his disaffection for Rev. Martey.
Attacks
Leading the charge of attacks on the man of God was National Organizer of the ruling NDC who doubles as the party’s Campaign Coordinator, Kofi Adams. He claimed that Rev. Martey “talks foolishly.”
That was because Prof. Martey had alleged that the leadership of the NDC is condoning the use of abusive language and attacks on him which he said would not augur well for the party since it (party) is eliminating the good people of Ghana from it.
In an interview with Rainbow Radio, Adams said the moderator had already insulted himself with his own utterances and comments and so it would not be the NDC that would insult or instigate its members against him.
Pressure
The United Cadres Front (UCF) of the NDC entered the fray, calling for the removal of the moderator from the National Peace Council.
Aside that, the group also wants the church to excommunicate him “to save its envious reputation and image built over decades and led by men and women of tried and tested morality and candour.”
A statement signed by one Efanam Felix Nyaku said to be the secretary of the group noted, “Members of the United Cadres Front of Ghana have followed the actions and utterances of the just out-gone Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Prof. Martey, and have come to the conclusion that he does not merit to be a member of the Peace Council of Ghana, and should therefore be withdrawn from that august body of state.”
Their basis was that, “Any person who is serving as a peace-maker and also a leading member of a highly acclaimed church cannot be so controversial, reckless and irresponsible in his dealing with the state.”
Political Tag
Then came in General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who even though conceded that the moderator is a citizen of Ghana and has the right to join any political party and also express his views on any national issues, said, “His views should be differentiated from that of the Presby Church because not all members are towing his line.”
“As the moderator represents God so some of the things you say must be seen as coming from God or from the church but I don’t think God asked him to come and say some of the things he has been saying in the country.”
“He can now wear his NPP jersey, now that he is leaving office,” he proposed.
“He can wear the NPP shirt and walk around, and possibly, the NPP can choose him as the running mate or the flagbearer…that will help him instead of hiding behind the Presbyterian Church to make unguarded comments”, Mr Asiedu Nketia added on Onua FM and that “if he wears the NPP jersey openly, we can then attack him when he make political comments but if he wants to be neutral, then he should not talk about political issues.”
By Charles Takyi-Boadu