‘J.E.A. Mills is corrupt’ – Kwabena Sarpong

A member of the New Patriotic Party’s Communications team, Kwabena Sarpong has lashed out at President Mills for doing nothing about corruption in his administration adding that the President himself is corrupt.

Speaking on Multi TV’s political talk show, Minority caucus, Mr. Sarpong said even though the President claims not to be corrupt, his actions show that he is indeed corrupt.

Citing several instances of acts of corruption under the Mills administration, Mr. Sarpong said President Mills should have moved to stop the practice but because he is corrupt he has failed to do anything about the developments.

According to him, “the Kufuor administration came to the conclusion that about 70 – 80 percent of our corruption stems from one area and that is procurement. In Ghana, government’s procurement is about 80 percent of the economy because we’re a developing nation.”

But according to Mr. Sarpong, even though the procurement law was instituted by the Kufuor administration to fight corruption, the Mills administration is subverting the law thereby making corruption more rife in the country.

He cited the asphalting of a road which was already in good shape under the certificate of emergency, an act he says amounts to corruption.

“The Asumdwe hene who comes in, the man of God who comes in that he’s going to rule by the book, the man has told us that if he even sees a newspaper publication [on corruption] he is going to act on it. What do we see? Complete abuse of the system that was put in place to stop corruption.”

“How can a government which says it is out to fight corruption put asphalt on a road under the certificate of emergency under sole sourcing? If this is not abuse and corrupt practice then I don’t know what corruption is. I cannot take the person who makes that decision to court, I can’t. It’s the man at the castle, it’s J.E.A Mills who has to stop this, but he’s sitting down there. He himself is part of the corruption. J.E.A Mills is corrupt. He is corrupt. Can I prove it? Yes, I can. You come in and you tell us that you’re going to ask your ministers to declare their assets within 24 days or something like that, within a month of coming into office you’re going to ask your ministers to declare their assets. In a question and answer session, you tell the press go and ask the minister whether he’s declared his assets. Did the press appoint the minister?” he asked.

Revisiting the controversial GH¢1.6 million reportedly used to buy hampers for some journalists, Mr. Sarpong said “this guy [President] comes in and says he doesn’t want hampers. Did anybody ask him why he doesn’t want hampers? Maybe he thinks hampers are bad, it is corrupt practice. And you gave 16 billion cedis to your own appointee to go and give hampers and you supported it and you come and tell me that this man is not corrupt? The man who sits at the castle is not corrupt? How?” he asked.

He attributed corruption in successive administrations to the fact that “since we became independent, every leader of this country is good. Tell me which leader has not been described as good. They are all good but who are bad? The people around him. His followers, his employees” he said.

He asked that the government takes up the fight against corruption since it is its duty to prosecute persons found to be corrupt.

-- NPP Communications Directorate

NPP Headquarters, Asylum Down. Accra.

Dep. Director: Curtis Perry K. Okudzeto (024-9679008)