The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has taken a swipe at President Akufo-Addo, insisting that the President’s silence on corruption during the State of the Nation Address was as loud as his guilt.
According to him, the seeming neglect by the President in resolving matters of corruption in the country cannot be overlooked. This, he noted, is due to the complicity of some the members of his party and also the gravity of corruption undertaken.
Mr Nketia explained that the President’s action and complicity has emboldened most of his officials including Vice President, Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, whose name has come up in multiple corruption scandals such as the “PDS scandal, the shady gold for oil deal, stolen rice scandal and the famous appearance fee scandal”.
“President Akufo-Addo’s silence on corruption in his infamous address was very loud. It was as loud as his guilt. Evidently, corruption has defeated his family and friends’ government. Instead of confronting this canker head-on, President Akufo-Addo has constituted himself into a corruption clearing agent, ever-willing to whitewash himself and any of his appointees who dabble in corruption, even before investigative process commence.”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
Speaking at an organized conference by the party on what it described as the ‘true state of the nation address’, Mr Nketia indicated that President Akufo-Addo’s “misguided declaration” that nothing dishonorable was done with the COVID funds adds to the litany of failed attempts to conceal the rot perpetuated in the country. This, he explained, has left many scandalized, particularly following the publication of the special audit report in COVID-19 funds by the Auditor General.
“First, it was the Attorney General pretending to take umbrage to the publication of the report, then comes the chief corruption clearing agent himself, even before the said report is considered by parliament. How that President Akufo-Addo reasonably expects Ghanaians to accept as honorable, the Auditor General’s finding that COVID-19 related payments totaling more than GHC543 million were made to various service providers outside of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System, is clear violation of regulation 61 of the Public Financial Management regulation 2019. L.I 23 (78) [is baffling]…”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
The NDC Chairman stated that there’s “everything dishonorable” with the finding by the Auditor General, especially that a company known as Modern Security Printers Limited which was awarded a contract to conduct public education on COVID-19 safety protocols for students at an outrageous cost of GHC1.5 million has been paid in full for no work done.
NDC’s stance on COVID-19 audit report
Mr Nketia highlighted that it is the “height of cruelty” for funds which were meant to save lives during a public health crisis to have been looted and misappropriated in such a bizarre manner.
“Despite the desperate attempt by the Chief corruption clearing agent to sweep these serious crimes under the carpet, one thing which will tarry for ages to come is how the COVID-19 pandemic became a corruption bonanza and a milking cow for President Akufo-Addo and his officials to cream state resources in the most-obscene manner. It should come as little surprise therefore that the President has become a clearing agent who actually rewards unscrupulous members of his government with national awards.”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
Commenting on the plaudits given some appointees at the national award ceremony held last week, Mr Nketia stated that instead of the President “sacking the serially incompetent” minister for health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, he decided to confer national honors on the “minister’s corruption and included even more corrupt appointees and companies to desecrate” the revered national award ceremony.
To this end, he explained that this year’s awards and the inclusion of these “shady characters”, some of whom are under parliamentary inquiry can at best be viewed as part of the systemic denigration of the country’s statehood.
“… I’m happy that some decent awardees never participated in this. It also reveals the weakened and depraved state of our nation. A nation where those who scrutinize government’s dubious expenditures are chased out of office as Auditor Generals. A nation where journalists who unearth corruption are harassed, intimidated and sometimes murdered…”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
Following this, Mr Nketia urged Ghanaians and the diplomatic community not to be intimidated by the President’s “unprecedented attack” on the German ambassador during his message on the State of the Nation in parliament. He further entreated all true democrats to join hands with the National Democratic Congress to resist the suppression of free speech by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government.
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