Corrupt "Business As Usual" In Ghana - NPP

NPP Communications Director Nana Akomea today blasted John Mahama and the NDC government for failing 4 years in a row to improve Ghana's commitment to confronting corruption. Citing the 2012 report released by the highly respected watchdog organization Transparency International, he stated, "The latest report from Transparency International proves what the NPP has been saying all along - that this NDC government has not only kept Ghana from moving forward, but has actually made us regress, because we are faced with intense global competition. Other governments around the world have delivered for their people and reduced corruption while the NDC has not, and this has hurt Ghana's ability to compete. That means less jobs and a lower standard of living. They promised a Better Ghana but they gave us a more corrupt Ghana." Nana Akomea continued, "It's quite a contrast to compare the NDC record to their campaign of 2008, in which they threatened to jail 'all of Kufuor�s Ministers, one by one, by one'. Today, we know better as we come to the end of what has been generally acknowledged as THE most corrupt government ever in our country�s history. We the people of Ghana should make our voices heard loud and clear on Friday that we want transparency in our government and in public life. All those who have been dismayed by the level of corruption under this NDC government should give their votes to Nana Akufo-Addo, because of his commitment to fight corruption vigorously to exact the same high standards from members of his government as he has set for himself. Ghanaians can count on the NPP to treat the public purse with care and seek value for money in all financial transactions for government." He concluded, "Even former President Rawlings, the NDC founder, echoed these points yesterday when he urged Ghanaians to vote against corrupt NDC MPs, such as Kobla Woyome, the brother of Alfred Woyome, subject of the most offensive and despicable judgment debt case during the past 4 years, in which 50 million cedis were paid off - money that could have built over 400 schools!" Below is a list of the major instances of corruption during the past 4 years: Two of the most controversial international transactions associated with this government, or any other government of the Republic for that matter, the $10 billion STX housing deal from Korea and the Embraer 190 Jet and the accompanying $17 million hangar from Brazil were both led by John Mahama in his capacity then as Vice President. President Mahama led a team to negotiate for the construction of a plane�s hangar at a ridiculous $17 million when same facility had been earlier negotiated for $5 million by the NPP government. It was also negotiated that an extra fuel tank be added to the Embraer 190 jet at the cost of $8 million and entertainment fittings valued at $1 million. It has been alleged without any response from the NDC government, that functionaries of the NDC received at least US$ 1 million dollars in bribery payments from TAQA, the United Arab Emirates based majority shareholder of the Aboadze thermal plant. According to Peter Barker � Homek, the CEO of TAQA at the time �the authorization to triple its output was obtained by inflating the official price of the expansion works� and then paying part of the surplus to government officials. Former Minister of Education, Hon. Betty Mould-Iddrissu stated that the cost of building one six unit classroom block under the emergency schools under tree projects cost between GH�260,000 and GH�280,000 as opposed to GH�73,000 under the NPP when inflation stood at 18.1%. It was alleged by the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Lower Manya Krobo that a Deputy Minister of Information has acquired houses within the two year tenure of this government. There is also the GH�90 million saga made against the late President for his internal campaigns and allegations of a tape with the founder of the NDC to confirm this. On October 1, 2009 the Chronicle News paper published that two constituency chairmen of the NDC in Ashanti region, Messrs Osei Bosie and D.Y Kwateng were being investigated for alleged extortion of various monies from employees of Zoomlion in the Afigya Kwabre District, an amount of GH�11,900 apparently to grease the palms of some top officials who allegedly facilitated the employment of the workers. The gargantuan payments made to one man, Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome, who for no work done received a whopping GH�51 million. The least said about this case the better as you are all aware of the facts surrounding this case. In 2010 alone, according to the official Auditor-General's Report, over GH�278 millions of the public purse was wasted on judgment debts. What has gained currency as the Woyome scandal owes its genesis to the GH�51 million payment to one person in 2010. What has come to irk many true blue blooded Ghanaian is that the claimant could not produce a piece of newspaper on which anything had been written, linking him to the huge payment. As if the state had learned no lessons from this huge dole-out in 2010, the 2011 Auditor-General's Report lists as much as GH�217,971,387.68 paid to various organizations and individuals in the name of judgment debts. In the opinion of the Auditor-General, 'these debts could have been avoided if due care was taken by the public officials in the discharge of their duties.' But the question is why would officials cause such a huge loss to the state without the political leadership calling them to order? In the course of exclusively selling blocks at exorbitant rates to the Bui Dam Project, Mr. Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, NDC general secretary who also doubles as a board member of the company now beats his chest as one of Ghana's men of fortune. Quite recently, when allegation was flying about that he owned some mansions in the national capital and some properties in Kumasi, he responded by saying that he deserved to join the cr�me de la cr�me of society, apparently on account of his position in the ruling party. The 5.7km Ofankor-Achimota Road, which the NPP was constructing with GH�43.2 million, has, after a 3-year delay, just been completed by the NDC for GH�137 million. That amount is only GH�20 million less than the GH�158 million the NPP was going to spend on the 31.7km Nsawam-Suhum stretch, to build a dual carriageway with asphalt concrete surfacing and an interchange at Suhum. The Minority Leader, the Honourable Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, has already made the case that while the construction of one kilometre of asphalt covered road carried was between $450,000-$600,000 under the NPP, it now costs between $1.4 million and $1.6 million, under the NDC. What accounted for this bloated increment in the cost of the project?