TESCON UDS early this month in a press release challenged the former president Jerry
John Rawlings to substantiate his corruption allegations against the ex-president
J.A. Kofour or forever hold his peace.
On the contrary TEIN UDS Navrongo campus finds this as hilarious and a betrayal on
the part of the “young patriots” since it is very clear to us all that the
ex-president Kufour does not feel comfortablewith people digging up his past and
exposing his ill and corrupt practices when in office. Instead of these “young
patriots” bowing down their heads in shame, they rather are throwing a challenge for
us to remind them of the numerous incidents of corruption engaged by the
ex-president and his ministers.
Anyway, since they pretend not to have known these gargantuan dealings under their
very noses and needed a reminder these are but a few corruption scandals under the
Kufour administration.
1.KUFOUR’S PURCHASE OF THE US$ 8 MILLION HOTEL
We were made to believe that the hotel was purchased by his son. On the contrary,
the son had no business track record prior to his father becoming President and had
also not demonstrated any capacity to raise US$ 8 million dollars to buy such a
hotel.
2. KUFOUR ADMITS TO CORRUPTION IN HIS GOVERNMENT
At the 2003 NPP delegate’s conference held in Cape Coast, President Kufour in his
address made excuses for corruption in his government. Among other justifications he
said corruption “was as old as Adam”.
3. KUFFOUR’S HOUSE RENOVATION
In 2001 President Kufuor’s private residence was renovated at a cost of GHC 4000 (40
million cedis). It was claimed later by NPP government officials that the renovation
was financed by a farmer named Mr Marfo. It is instructive to note that the same Mr
Marfo was flown abroad for medical treatment at the expense of the tax payer. How is
it that a farmer who was rich enough to pay for the renovation of the residence of
the President needed the tax payer’s money to seek medical treatment or was it a
case of one good turn deserves another?
4. KUFOUR DIVERTS 6O BILLION CEDIS OF TAX PAYERS MONEY TO FUND NPP PROPAGANDA
MACHINERY
The 2009 audit report revealed that up to GHC 600,000 (60 billion cedis) of the tax
payer’s money taken from the TOR debt recovery levy, the HIPC etc. was used fund a
so called communication strategy which was only a euphemism for a conduit used to
siphon statefunds into the NPP campaign. The auditors could not find details of this
strategy or how it was executed except dubious payments to amorphous groups such as
BLOW, PRIM, and FIRST RESPONDERS AND THE RAPID RESPONSE TEAM ( here in the Upper
East Region).
5. SEKYI HUGHES LOOTS HIS OFFICIAL BUNGALOW
Former speaker of Parliament under the NPP Rt Hon Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes when
leaving his official bungalow looted it empty. He carried along all the curtains,
furniture and fixtures in the house. Some media reports had it that Mr Sekyi Hughes
even took away flower pots.
6. GHANA @ 50 CELEBRATION: Kufour spending US$ 75 million dollars on Ghana’s
50th birthday celebration and yet failed to construct the places of convenience
(KVIPs) along all major roads as promised.
7. THE MACMILLAN TEXTBOOK PRINTING SAGA:
Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo, then Education Minister was embroiled in a scandal involving the
printing of some textbooks for Ghanaian schools. What was Kufour’s contribution?
8. HARUNA ESSEKU SCANDAL
Mr Harruna Esseku then, National Chairman of the NPP In 2005, was caught on tape
telling NPP supporters that President Kufour was the chief recipient of kickbacks
from contractors at the castle. He lamented that unlike in the past when he could go
to thecastle and have his car boot stashed with kickback funds, President Kufour was
at the time withholding those funds and this had affected his ability to provide
resources for the running of the NPP. For this revelation Mr Esseku was held hostage
and prevented from attending the NPP delegate’s conference at Legon.
9. Hon DAN BOTWE QUESTIONS SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR LAVISH NPPFLAGBEARERSHIP CONTEST
In 2007 Mr Dan Botswe, former General secretary of the NPP and Former Information
Minister expressed worry about the ostentatious nature of the campaigns that were
being waged by seventeen aspirants who contested for the 2007 flag bearer slot of
the NPP.
He lamented how the NPP in opposition could not afford to purchase even flags and T-
shirts and yet in power it was possible for 17 people to spend so much money on a
flag bearer race. Some aspirants could even afford to charter aircrafts for campaign
tours and hire aircrafts to fly their banners in the air.
Hackman Owusu Agyeman himself an aspirant in that contest also bitterly complained
about the extravagance that was displayed in that campaign.
10. KUFOUR’S MINISTER DEPOSITS 2 BILLION CEDIS IN BANK ACCOUNT:
Charles Bintim a minister of state was able to deposit 2billioncedis cash into his
account at a bank on the High Street in Accra. There was no explanation how a
Minister of state came by that amount of money
11. E.O GROUP SHARES IN JUBILEE FIELD
While 25 million Ghanaians had to make do with only 13.6% stake in the Jubilee
field. Two NPP top shots, George Owusu and Ambassador Edusei were given 3% shares
which amounts to a colossal US$300 million. It is instructive to note that in one of
the Wikileaks cables President Kufour was quoted as having told a US senator that
his interests in Ghana’s oil are being coordinated by Mr Kwabena Darko of Darko
Farms. When investigations were carried out into the EO group’s affairs by Ghanaian
authorities, it emerged that their company address was the same as the address of
Darko Farms.
12. SALE OF LANDS TO NPP MINISTERS AND CRONIES
A recount of the sale of government bungalows and public lands to Jake Obetsebi
Lamptey, President Kufour, Kwodwo Mpiani and other NPP Ministers and cronies points
to evidence of corruption.
13. THE ANANE SEX SCANDAL
A minister of health who attends a conference on HIV/AIDS engages in unprotected
sexual affair siring a child in the process and using state resources from the Ghana
airways for the upkeep of this child.
14. AMOATENG HEROIN SCANDAL
MP for Nkoranza North was arrested in the United States of America for trafficking
large quantities of heroin and is currently languishing in jail in the US. Amoateng
was a key NPP financier and received his party’s full support in the wake of his
arrest.
Was Amoateng the only one into this or he was just been the unlucky one?
15. BAMBA’S SCANDAL
In the early days of the Kufour’s administration, Moctar Bamba a presidential
staffer was fingered in a visa fraud scandal. Mr Bamba used letter heads of the
office of the president to write to embassies to secure visas for people at a fee.
16. KENNEDY AGYAPONG ‘S RECENT DECLARATION,
The Assin North NPP MP has described all national executives of the NPP as thieves
for squandering funds meant for the 2012 election. He further challenged the
disciplinary committee of the party to dare invite him if they can and threatened
for a refund of all his money from the party. Right form the horses own mouth.
We do sincerely believe that the “young patriots” were never privileged to these
unspeakable nation robbing and looting activities under the Kufour and the NPP
administration.
As their name suggests, they are just being too “young” and ignorant to have a
little research done into these dealings or misinformed as usual by their corrupt
and property owning leaders. But if they do, then they may be able to tell us how a
leader of this caliber can be described as been compassionate, loyal, dignified and
a statesman.
Kufour’s administration and the NPP were nothing but nation riggers with corrupt
infested ministers.
Former president Rawlings therefore never said anything outside the lines rather
than just calling him and the entire NPPbythe right name.
LONG LIVE NDC
LONG LIVE GHANA
BY: ALHASSANHUDU- TEIN PRESIDENT. 0546132077