Corruption fight: Akufo-Addo will be worse than Mills- PPP

The Progressive Peoples Party is not impressed with answers given by the flagbearer of New Patriotic Party Nana Akufo-Addo when he appeared at the Institute of Economic Affairs Evening Encounter. The party among other things questioned Nana Addo’s strategy and commitment to fighting corruption if elected as president. A statement signed by the Deputy Youth Coordinator said “It is very funny how Nana Addo talks about eradicating corruption by being an exemplary leader. We know that Ghanaians have had the opportunity of having an incorruptible leader like the late former President Mills (May his soul rest in peace) whose government could be said to be one of the most corrupt in recent times in the history of Ghana. The full statement is as follows; AKUFO-ADDO WOULD BE WORSE THAN MILLS- PPP The Evening Encounter Sessions organised by the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) has been very insightful. It has afforded Ghanaians the opportunity to know what is on the minds of the various Presidential Candidates with representation in parliament. Nana Akufo Addo has also done well in honouring the invitation of the IEA by educating Ghanaians on how he intends to manage the country should he become the next CEO of Ghana for the next 4 years. We would further like to congratulate Nana Addo for his eloquent presentation during the IEA encounter. It is very worrying that his answer on the practicality of tackling corruption in Ghana was woefully inappropriate. When the Ghana Integrity Initiative Boss questioned Akuffo Addo about how he was going to deal with the issue of corruption, it was the expectation of most Ghanaians that Nana Addo was to demonstrate practically his commitment to eradicate corruption from the system. It is very funny how Nana Addo talks about eradicating corruption by being an exemplary leader. We know that Ghanaians have had the opportunity of having an incorruptible leader like the late former President Mills (May his soul rest in peace) whose government could be said to be one of the most corrupt in recent times in the history of Ghana. Professor Mills never liked corruption as a person yet his government could not rid itself of corruption. This is because the institutional structure of the country has made it difficult for any individual to be able to fight corruption effectively. Today, both the NPP and the NDC are in the equalization game of who is more corrupt than the other. By this standard, we believe that the NPP flagbearer ought to have given a better option than just the old talk of being leader by example. This is a clear indication that, he does not fully appreciate the nature of corruption in our system or is not willing to be a different leader and for that matter an Akufo Addo administration is not going to be anything better than the Mills-led administration. Secondly, Nana Addo made a very laughable suggestion by saying that he will handle Judgment debt by causing the Attorney General to publish all claims made against the state, as if to say that it is the people of Ghana who shall determine which Judgment debt to be paid and which one not to be paid. We think he could have said better than this mere populist propaganda to confuse the many unsuspecting voters. Nana Addo claims that he had NO PROBLEM as an Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Justice and so he does not subscribe to the argument that the AG should be decoupled from the Ministry of Justice. This is a clear indication that he is not willing and does not intend to fight corruption. By continuously retaining the status of the AG as a Cabinet minister who can be hired and fired by the President, we limit the power of the AG to Prosecute “All manner of people”. This is because the AG would never be able to do an independent prosecution especially when the prosecution is likely to affect the reputation of his government. The case of the former Sports minister is not tenable because he was not a member of their Party the NPP and thus they were more comfortable to make him a scape goat. Again, the case of the dismissal of Hon. Martin Amudi in the ongoing Woyomey case is another strong indication of how the executive can stampede the work of the AG so long as the AG remains the same as the Minister of Justice and a Cabinet minister who can be hired and sacked by the President at any time and without any reason. Practically, an AG would be compromised when he is part of cabinet discussion and will not be able to give an independent professional advice to state and so if Nana Addo was committed to eradication of corruption, he would not dismiss such an argument. We insist that all politicians must come to realisation of this simple fact and make commitment to ensure that our legal system is reformed. Ghana needs an independent state prosecutor who cannot be sacked by the President anyhow. We know and respect Nana Addo as a senior legal practitioner of good standing. Yet his claim that he had No Problem as an Attorney General cannot be true. We do not want to go into details of the gargantuan crimes during the Kufour Administration which were not followed up and prosecuted by the then Attorney General but we want to state that Ghana must be awake to the realities of our times. It is time to make sure that the law is able to bite. PPP wants the opportunity to implement an Agenda for Change when our candidate is made President of the Republic of Ghana come January 2013. This Agenda is built on four pillars - Stewardship, Education, Healthcare and Jobs. We will implement the Agenda using the spirit of inclusiveness that will enable us to use the best Ghanaians; full participation of women and the youth; and above all a leadership that is incorruptible. By dealing with corruption, we can double government revenue which we will use to pay for our transformational initiatives in education, healthcare and job creation. AWAKE GHANA YOUTH! Richard Nii Amarh PPP Deputy Youth Coordinator (Volunteers) 0268857493