Pressure Piles On Barton Odro To Resign�As Anti-Corruption Campaigner Joins The Fray

An anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem, has added his voice to the chorus of those mounting pressure on the beleaguered Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ebo Barton Odro, to resign from his current post and safe the little integrity he has. Azeem insists Mr Odro cannot continue to be in office when he still thinks the state had no case against Alfred Woyome who was illegally paid an amount of �51million in judgment debt. Reacting to an interview Ebo Barton Odro allegedly granted a local radio station in the Central region after the Supreme Court�s unanimous decision that Woyome refunds the judgment debt he was paid in 2010 on Joy News yesterday, Vitus Azeem said "It is a case of conflict of interest. He should resign." The 1st Deputy Speaker was reported as asserting on Radio Central, in Cape Coast, after the Supreme Court ruling that: �I still stand by what I said that the state had a bad case.� This latest defence by the Cape Coast North MP is perhaps what has deepen his woes; with people drawing his blood left, right and center. The anti-corruption campaigner�s call comes on the heels of a spirited advocacy by the Central region NPP for Barton Oduro�s resignation. The spokesman for the party�s communication team, David Apinyah Ato Sam, addressing a press conference in Cape Coast on Monday, stated that the action of the MP had brought shame and disgrace to his constituents, and that he should vacate his post. Quoting from the Administration ACT 2003 (act 654), which states: �Each officer or person acting in an office or employment connected with the collection, management or disbursement of public or trust of money with the control of government stores who conspires with another to defraud the government, or makes an opportunity for another person to defraud the state, commits an offense and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 5,000 penalty units, or imprisonment of a term of not exceeding ten years, or to both, �Ato Sam and his team, averred Barton Odro had breached the Act and must resign honourably from office. They also want President Mahama to direct his Minister of Justice and Attorney General to start prosecuting Mr. Ebo Barton Odro to serve as a deterrent to other appointees in his government. More so, the Minority in Parliament have vowed to ensure that Mr. Ebo Barton Odro resignation would lead the way to restoring dignity, honor and respect to public service.