Did gov't support Anas? - Kwetey says "no", Ablakwa says "yes"

The need for government’s Communication team to articulate issues in a clear and unambiguous voice has been brought to fore once again following the blatant contradictory statements by two leading officials in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the role of government in the recent undercover piece by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the New Crusading Guide.

Anas’ latest investigative piece titled, “Enemies of the Nation”, tells a story about the endemic corruption that goes on daily at the Tema Port.

Posing as a clearing agent under the name “Oblitey Sowah”, alias “Koose” from “Tiger Shipping agency”, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, together with a team of agents, obtained secret video footage on the daily cases of bribery and corruption that greet any importer or businessperson who calls at the port. The resultant documentary is a power packed one and a half hour piece where men in uniform are seen taking bribes.

Surprisingly, officialdom is somehow falling over itself to explain the role of government in the whole caboodle.

The Enquirer newspaper in its Monday February 7 edition alleged, “the Finance Ministry quietly awarded a juicy contract to the Journalist with terms and reference which feeds into a quiet feud between that Ministry and the Ministry of Trades over Destination Inspection Companies”. According to the Paper, the feud between the two ministries started over disagreements about whether or not the Destination Inspection Companies were relevant, and who deserved to be awarded the contracts.

Interestingly, whiles Deputy Finance Minister, Fiifi Kwetey is strenuously denying the report that government sponsored Anas, his remarks seems to be at variance with that of his own government on the issue.

Fiifi Kwetey was dismissive of reports that sought to suggest that his sector financially supported Anas in carrying out his undercover operations, arguing that the Finance Ministry cannot sponsor someone to expose CEPs or the Ghana Revenue Authority, since both agencies falls directly under their watch.

“Finance Ministry did not pay a dime, not one penny, not one pesewa…You will notice that the comprehensive nature of this video is affecting everybody. So clearly, our focus must be on the national interest regardless of who is involved. Our focus must be on ensuring that we minimize the massive revenue hemorrhage that is taking place. Revenue that is critical for the transformation of our nation and for lifting our people out of poverty into taking us to where we need to be. As to some of these whole considerations being about warpath is irrelevant and petty,” he said in an interview on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show.

However, the Managing Editor of the Enquirer newspaper, Raymond Archer stood by the story and stated on the same platform; “I am telling you as a statement of fact that the investigation was sponsored by the Government, and that the Ministry of Finance was responsible for sponsorship of that investigation...There are people who are also raising ethical issues about whether a Journalist can be paid for editorial content or sponsored by a Government against whom he is investigating to conduct his work...As for what Mr. Fiifi Kwetey has said, I just want to say that the Enquirer story is true and we stand by it. And I am sure that in the coming few days, these issues will be sorted out,” he said.

Additionally, the Propaganda Secretary of the ruling NDC, Richard Quashigah, insisted that government through the Ministry of Finance sponsored Anas’ latest work which unraveled widespread corruption and bribery at the Tema Port.

He was speaking to Joy News in reaction to a press conference held by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the Enemies of the State footage is a clear indictment on Mills’ administration and confirms the fears that the government is sleeping on the job.

Mr. Quashigah, who accused the opposition NPP of tackling every issue with a mischievous mindset, opined that government’s sponsorship of the video is indicative of President Mills’ commitment to fight corruption.

“The NPP is only playing mischief with Anas’ exposé and ignorantly accusing President Mills of sleeping on the job without knowing government collaborated with Anas to do the video exposé. This is one of government ways of addressing the corruption menace,” he noted.

He described as unfortunate the NPP’s unquenchable thirst to politicize and criminalize the President Mills’ administration of corruption. To him, the NPP has neither the moral justification to comment on the corruption syndicate unearth at the Tema Port nor point accusing fingers at the Mills’ administration since corruption was more pervasive during the tenure of ex-President Kufuor.

“This (corruption) is a canker we all need to deal with it but the NPP is creating the impression that the NDC is not doing anything. It is amazing what the NPP is saying, considering where they are coming from, one would have thought they will be candid enough to discuss the issue devoid of mischief,” he added.

As if to confirm Quashigah’s position, government through an official statement signed by Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a Deputy Minister of Information admitted that a state institution funded the ace investigator’s recent work including the exposure of cocoa smuggling and corruption at the Tema Harbour.

The statement, which hinted at several other strategies that had been deployed at the instance of President John Atta Mills in the fight against corruption and added "the President is determined to win this fight at all cost."