Buying of state assets by govt officials is corruption -Tetteh Chaie

Former Member of Parliament for Ablekuma Central, Theophilus Tetteh Chaie has described the policy that allows state officials to purchase state assets as an act of corruption.

According to the former legislator, it is not right for politicians to deplete the state coffers for the comfort of state officials who pledged to serve the state. His comments followed latest directive by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo banning public officials from purchasing state vehicles while in office or leaving office.

Speaking to the media at the Peduase Lodge on Monday, the President said he will ensure that officials in his government after serving will not purchase state cars allocated to them, adding that the policy has been abused and can no longer work under his watchful eyes. It would be recalled that former President John Dramani Mahama made similar calls while in office but was flouted.

However, Theophilus Tetteh Chaie on Onua FM noted that it is time leaders backed their directives with actions. He explained that government officials own vehicles and other properties before going into government and wondered why they will crave for more while in government or living office. “We go to the electorate, begging that they should give us chance to serve them, so why should we end up buying state assets that could be left for use by successive officials” the former chairman of Parliament’s Transport Committee quizzed.

He believed that selling and buying of state assets by government appointees, smacks of corruption. He cited, for instance, if government appointees engage in the practice of buying state bungalows, in no time the country will be without lands to provide accommodation for successive appointees. He told host of Onua FM morning show Bright Kwesi Asempa “We are in politics to serve not to enrich ourselves, this must stop, it is not right”.