Martin Kpebu, lawyer
Prominent lawyer, Martin Kpebu, has expressed disappointment with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's response to recent controversies involving the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.
Martin Kpebu criticized the president for choosing a diplomatic approach rather than taking a firm stance against the minister.
“I was expecting President Akufo-Addo to take the side of Ghana and reprimand the Agric Minister publicly. So, for him to take this diplomatic route to say they should engage is not enough,” Kpebu stated, a report by myjoyonline.com has said.
Martin Kpebu is also reported to have further criticized President Akufo-Addo’s administration, accusing the president of fostering an environment that allows corruption among government appointees.
He claimed that the president's actions have enabled significant embezzlement of public funds.
“… But then again, are we surprised? The president is so corrupt and he encourages corruption everywhere, so, it comes as no surprise,” the report added.
Concerns about a potential conflict of interest have also been raised by stakeholders, including the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Samuel Ablakwa has since petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the transaction, alleging conflicts of interest, abuse of power, lack of due process, procurement breaches, cronyism, and graft, citing violations of Articles 78(3) and 98(2) of the 1992 Constitution.
In response to these allegations, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has denied any wrongdoing.
In a press release, SSNIT explained that the process began in November 2018 with the hiring of a transaction advisor to guide the selection of a strategic investor.
"Advertisements for an Expression of Interest (EOI) were published in early 2022 in the Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, and The Economist Magazine. Out of the nine companies that responded, six were shortlisted and issued Request for Proposal documents," SSNIT said.
Despite SSNIT's assurances, MP Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin has called for a detailed public explanation of the deal and other investments.
He believes that transparency is crucial for stakeholders, such as the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other labor unions, to fully understand the situation.
“SSNIT must come out, and even not only this decision, [it must] look at all their investments that are failing and explain them to the public. I am sure that TUC and other labor unions will understand if these things are explained and they will take away Bryan Acheampong as a person and understand that, let’s not look at the form but at the substance,” Afenyo-Markin added.
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