NPP questions President John Evans Atta Mills sincerity
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has questioned the sincerity of President John Evans Atta Mills’ commitment to fighting corruption, describing his handling of the Anas investigations so far as anything but credible.
The party’s statement, read by Nana Akomea, Director of Communications and MP for Okaikoi South, yesterday at the party headquarters, found it strange that the President would virtually send a warning to the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) about his pending visit to their establishments.
President Mills himself, the party observed, had identified the instances of malfeasance at the two places, which the NPP noted, would only serve to keep the corrupt staff on their toes and on the lookout for his unannounced visits to their places of work.
“Instead of telling us of actions that he has taken, if any, he rather chose to announce his future visit,” the NPP said, adding, “It is most extraordinary to expect that the officials, after this open alert, would be waiting for the President to visit them and catch them red-handed.”
On the President’s worry that some CEPS officers build houses within three years of their employment, the party wondered why the President does not question his appointees who own buildings within two years of their appointments.
“There are several reports of political appointees in his government putting up houses within 2 years which have not been investigated.
Do political appointees earn enough to put up houses in 2 years as is being reported?” the party demanded.
Hannah Bissiw, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, for instance, has in less than six months, put up a twin-mansion in her Techimantia hometown in the Tano South District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
The NPP described as sad, commentary that operatives at the level of National Security, sent to Tema to be watchmen, were identified in the Anas video collecting bribes, recalling the President’s question, “Who watches the watchman?”
Continuing, the party declared: “The chief watchman is the President, he has the executive mandate.”
On the corruption in the purchase of cocoa in the Western Region supported by ample evidence, the party noted that it yielded nothing, with the suspects being let off the hook because the Attorney General’s Department failed to turn up in court on two or more occasions. This, the party observed, left the judge with no option but to dismiss the case.
“It was because the Attorney General and his lawyers simply repeatedly failed to show up to present the evidence that a private investigator had painstakingly and dangerously gathered for them. All that the Attorney General had to do was to present the evidence and prosecute,” Nana Akomea said.
The NPP is not comfortable with the President’s appeal to the judiciary, explaining, “The judiciary can only convict on the basis of ample evidence. Indeed President Mills himself has stated that allegations must be supported by evidence.
“If the Attorney General’s Department would not go to the court to present the evidence, then the Judiciary may not be able to hand down convictions,” the NPP pointed out.
On the President’s call for CEPS officials to fill assets declaration forms, NPP advised that he should move from calls to action, asking him to also draw the line between gifts and bribes when he encouraged the giving of gifts to CEPS officers.
In the current issue where the journalist provided video evidence of the corruption at the Tema Port, the President’s howling when he stormed the location, would amount to nothing, the party observed.
In the case of the Osu Children’s Home where Anas unearthed a lot of malfeasance, the political response was to initially rubbish the report only to return later to set up a committee.
“His motives were questioned and his findings were said to be doctored,” the NPP stated, adding, “The political reaction had been so discouraging that there was hardly any collaboration/cooperation between the committee and Mr. Anas.”
Continuing, the party asked: “Can we ask whether the Mills/Mahama government is serious about building a better Ghana where the price of corruption is high and unattractive?”
The NPP wondered why in spite of the existence of a plethora of security agencies, “it took Mr. Anas to conduct an investigation and provide evidence of official malpractice and corruption at our Western borders.”
In showcasing the NPP’s past record, Nana Akomea recalled the establishment of the GCNET system and the vehicle clearing mechanism to ensure efficiency and corruption management of customs activities at the Port.
The NPP, he stated, would establish a crack team of undercover detectives and investigators to enhance institutions whose work is to unearth corruption in the country.
Source Daily Guide
Category: Politics
