Flashback: Mahama’s corruption fight was a ‘sham’, yours is ‘shambolic’ – Manasseh to Akufo-Addo

Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni in 2019 described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s efforts in fighting corruption as shambolic.

Mr. Awuni sought to find out how the President was able to cite scandals including the World Cup saga, GYEEDA, SADA, DVLA, and the Metro Mass Branding as an adequate basis to conclude that enough action was not taken by his predecessor, John Dramani Mahama, to fight the canker that is increasingly becoming worrying.

He argued that if President Akufo-Addo, even with actions including the imprisonment of two indicted persons; Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit (both who were involved in the GHC4.1 million GYEEDA scandal); cancellation of contracts, and introduction of the YEA Act, could tag Mahama’s corruption fight as a ‘sham’, he should be prepared and willing to accept the verdict of Ghanaians on his fight.

“I agree with President Akufo-Addo's assertion that more had to be done in the GYEEDA case, but if he was bold to call Mahama's fight against corruption as a sham even with the above actions, then he should not take offence when Ghanaians think his efforts in fighting corruption are shambolic,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

Read the full story originally published on September 10, 2019, on Ghanaweb

Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has called out President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his seeming efforts to fight corruption.

Mr. Awuni seeks to find out how the President was boldly able to cite scandals including the World Cup saga, GYEEDA, SADA, DVLA and the Metro Mass Branding sagas as adequate basis to conclude that enough action was not taken by his predecessor, John Dramani Mahama, to fight the canker that is increasingly becoming worrying.

President Akufo-Addo, during his campaigns in 2016, described the then NDC government’s efforts at fighting corruption a complete ‘sham’.

But following the President’s speech at the Annual Bar Conference in Takoradi on Monday, Mr. Awuni took to his social media to document his reactions.

He agrees undoubtedly with the President’s assertion that more had to be done by the previous government to deal with the cases of corruption that emerged during their tenure.

He, however, believes that if President Akufo-Addo, even with actions including the imprisonment of two indicted persons; Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit (both who were involved in the GHC4.1 million GYEEDA scandal); cancellation of contracts and introduction of the YEA Act, could tag Mahama’s corruption fight as a ‘sham’, he should be prepared and willing to accept the verdict of Ghanaians on his fight.

“I agree with President Akufo-Addo's assertion that more had to be done in the GYEEDA case, but if he was bold to call Mahama's fight against corruption was a sham even with the above actions, then he should not take offence when Ghanaians think his efforts in fighting corruption are shambolic”.