Baako accused of benefiting from NPP but he says: 'I Wont Share Poverty'

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Kweku Baako Jnr The Daily Graphic’s night editor, A.B.A. Fuseni, who confessed on Citi Fm yesterday that he is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has once again churned out wild incriminating allegations against some persons without providing any evidence whatsoever. The Alhaji, perceived as a hatchet-man for the NDC, has told a number of radio stations that he knows the journalists who benefited from an alleged ¢15billion through the Ministry of Information. Alhaji Fuseni, without dropping any of the said names, yesterday told Asempa FM in Accra that ace journalist cum publisher, Malik Kweku Baako, should be probed for having a house and expensive cars because in his estimation, the latter could not have self-acquired that property. The night editor, without providing any evidence, further told Asempa FM that Mr. Baako had collected money to do propaganda when the IFC and CNTI loans became a topical issue in Ghana a couple of years ago. Mr. Baako, in his response, debunked the allegations and dared Alhaji Fuseni to do a more appropriate thing by moving to the security agencies to furnish them with the evidence to substantiate his claims. An obviously vexed Mr. Baako charged: “What he has to do is to go to the security agencies and stop using radio to make unsubstantiated allegations which are not doing justice to anybody. What is he saying? That Kweku Baako has a house; so should I have lived in a hut? That Kweku Baako has a vehicle; so should I ride a bicycle? Or should I share poverty with him or anybody else? “Cowards like them; when they come on air they want to talk alone and when you come to counter, they don’t want you to. This nuisance he represents by churning out allegations should be curtailed by anybody who loves probity and accountability, and challenge A.B.A Fuseni that as soon as possible, he should proceed and provide his evidence that he has to the appropriate agencies for them to start working. “He has done this for the past eight to nine years and we have all tolerated this nuisance, this infantile nonsense, so he is happy because he can come on air and talk and say anything. He sat on radio and accused people of killing Ya Naa the Gizelle Yadzi matter and things without providing any evidence, yet he thinks he is an ethical journalist. This kind of stupidity, excuse my language, should cease.” Interestingly, when the host of the programme asked the Daily Graphic’s night editor to substantiate his allegations, he swerved the issue at stake and launched a very personal and absolutely unrelated attack on Mr. Baako’s person. “In spite of my stupidity, I have been able to rise on the academic ladder to obtain my Masters degree as far back as 1992, when you Kweku Baako cannot even boast of a Middle School Leaving certificate. That is important and that is one of the reason I am saying that we need to purge this profession of charlatans,” Alhaji Fuseni stated. Strangely, Alhaji Fuseni works in the same outfit with the President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Ransford Tetteh, and it is a wonder that he had not been educated that it is unethical and offensive to make such allegations without providing evidence. By Halifax Ansah-Addo

Kweku Baako lambasts Rawlings, Mills over Mabey and Johnson

...He charges Ghanaians not to turn hypocrisy into virtue

Turn not hypocrisy into virtue-Kweku Baako Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Malik Kweku Baako Jnr has taken a swipe at former President Rawlings for failing to investigate “hints” of bribery attributed to UK construction firm Mabel & Johnson when he (Rawlings) was in power. According to him, Mr. Rawlings’ call on the Atta Mills government to expedite investigations into allegations of bribery against past and serving officials of the NDC government only smacks of double standards, charging Ghanaians “not to turn hypocrisy into virtue.” Speaking on Joy FM’s news analysis programme News File, on Saturday, Mr Baako cited a 1994 British audit report into activities of Mabel &Johnson, in Ghana and other African countries in which revelations of bribery were made. Quoting sections of the report, Mr. Baako said a contract sum worth £37million awarded to Mabel & Johnson by the Ghana Highway Authority was over priced for up to 34%. He said copies of this damning audit report ‘pregnant’ with these bribery allegations were made to the then government of Ghana under the able leadership of president Rawlings in 1999. He found it difficult to understand why the ex-president who rode on the back of probity and accountability, as a result of which some past military heads of state were executed and some jailed, did not investigate these allegations of bribery against his own ministers. He expressed surprise that leading members of the NDC pretend that revelations of bribery by Mabel & Johnson could only be traced to the 24th September, 2009 ruling by the UK court in which some leading members of the party were mentioned. But a panel member and a sympathizer of the NDC, Ametor Quame argued ex-president could and should not be held responsible for the failure to prosecute. He argued most of these shortcomings are attributable to “systemic failures” adding, “these kinds of documents does not sometimes get to the president and vice president.” Some officials he said could have gotten the information and kept quite. In any case, the NPP government had eight years to investigate and prosecute these allegations but failed, he sniped. Mr. James Agalga who is also a member of the NDC and a panel member, was happy with the swift action taken by President Mills to get to the bottom of the allegations. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana