President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
“I will protect the public purse by insisting on value for money in all public transactions. Public service is not an avenue for making money. Money is to be made in the private sector, not the public sector. Measures will be put in place to ensure this.”
These were the very words uttered by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his swearing-in ceremony on the 7th of January 2017. This was a speech that raised the hopes of many Ghanaians and made him look like the new “Messiah” of Ghana after Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
However, successive events that followed this wonderful speech have left many wondering whether the speech was just mere cheap political talk. Ghana has since witnessed numerous egregious corruption scandals across almost all sectors which have serious ramifications on the public finances of this nation.
Sadly, almost all the alleged culprits associated with these corruption scandals have been absolved of any wrongdoing and this is very worrying. Taxpayers’ monies have been squandered yet no serious attempts have been made so far to retrieve the stolen public funds. The public purse, which Nana Akufo-Addo swore under oath and promised to protect, is being plundered every passing day under the watch of Ghana’s new “Messiah”.
Let us examine the BOST fuel contamination saga. What has become of this case? Who were the real owners of Movenpina? Where is the report? Why are the culprits walking about freely in this country? What happened to the taxpayers’ monies that disappeared because of this scandal?
Also, let us look at the Australia visa scandal. The current Deputy Minister for Information was allegedly neck-deep in this scandal. At the time of the incident, he was the Deputy Minister for Sports. What has happened to that case? Who were the other persons involved in the scandal? Where is the report?
The PDS and AMERI corruption scandals cannot be swept under the carpet and forgotten. How much did the state lose in these two scandals? After huge sums of taxpayers’ monies were lost in these scandals, what has become of the case? The culprits associated with PDS scandal are still around and allegedly cooking-up and planning more similar corruption scandals.
Another notable corruption scandal under the watch of the Nana Akufo-Addo and Mahamudu Bawumia-led NPP administration is the “Galamsey” scandal dubbed the “missing or flying” excavators scandal where Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Bissue, NPP’s Central Regional Vice Chairman and the former secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) that was overseeing “Operation Vanguard”, was cited together with names of other prominent government officials allegedly including the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, and his son Jojo Frimpong Boateng, were mentioned to be associated with the “Galamsey scandal”, and to date no formal official enquiry or investigations have been conducted to either exonerate or indict the alleged culprits.
Mr. President, your appointees seem to be making “wads” of money while working in public service contrary to your own words uttered during your swearing-in ceremony. These persons and appointees of yours including your own nephews and cousins, are all unduly benefitting and profiting from public service, as the public purse is being plundered relentlessly.
The circumstances surrounding the now infamous AGYAPA Mineral Royalties deal is also contrary to everything you said on that faithful day of 7th January 2017.
How can you allow your own family members including Ken Ofori-Atta and Gabby Otchere Darko who have been specifically mentioned and allegedly associated in this monumental and unprecedented act of corruption, using elaborate orchestrated schemes geared towards pilfering public funds, and illegally appropriating national (public) assets to themselves? Do you expect us to keep mute and pretend that all is well?
Look at the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s report on the stinking AGYAPA scandal, and ask yourself whether the information required to indict and prosecute persons involved is not available.
Is it because the persons involved in the corrupt AGYAPA scandal are your close relatives and that alone prevents you from indicting and prosecuting them? Or is it that your mandate cannot be used to prosecute them when you are busy prosecuting persons like Stephen Kwabena Opuni, former CEO of COCOBOD, who is standing trial at your behest.
At your presidential swearing-in ceremony, you made a pledge to the whole country and these were your very words; “I urge you, my fellow citizens who have entrusted me with this mandate, that I will advance my convictions with civility; I will serve the public interest with courage; I will speak for greater justice, as well as compassion, and I will call for responsibility and I will live it, as well.”
Your Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, if you reflect in good conscience and assess yourself using the very words you uttered at your swearing-in ceremony, how would you rate your performance in the fight against corruption? Have you served our public interests with courage? Have you spoken out for greater justice?
A case in point that should prick your own conscience and moral compass is how the Auditor General, Daniel Yao Domelevo was axed from office under your instruction for him to proceed on “terminal leave”, allegedly because he dared to touch your bosom friend and Senior Minister, Yaw Osarfo Marfo on the alleged Kroll and Associates scandal. Do you expect us to trust you again and give you another four-year mandate on 7th December 2020?