Mpiani testifies at Ghana@50 Commission

Accra, Oct. 23, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, former Chief of Staff, on Friday debunked the impression that he (Mpiani) and Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, former Chief Executive Officer of the defunct Ghana@50 Secretariat, hijacked the whole jubilee anniversary celebrations. The former Chief of Staff, who responding to a question posed by Chairman of Ghana@50 Commission of Inquiry, Justice Isaac Duose, whether he and Dr Wereko-Brobby hijacked the whole process as was the perception of the public, replied "My Lord, this is not true.

Mr Mpiani said "At the end of it all also you have auditing of the process.


"People unfortunately say things they don't know".


Mr Mpiani told the Commission that before the start of the probe, allegations in the media suggested that "some one billion Ghana cedis" might have been squandered by him and Dr Wereko-Brobby.


The Former Chief of Staff said unfortunately, when those making the allegations were asked to appear before the Commission to show proof, nobody came to present any allegation.


He said "But once again my Lord that is the Ghanaian who would prefer to sit in he's or her sitting room over a bottle of beer to malign people. And when they are requested to prove, they pretend that they haven't said anything".


Mr Mpiani told the Commission that he had seen the removal of governments and how many members of those governments were treated and how those who meted this treatment to those people came later to apologise. "My Lord, if the government goes and a new government comes in tomorrow, I can assure you maybe what people wrote about me will be child's play - What they have seen and what they haven't seen".

Mr Mpiani said "I believe we need some experts to help us change our attitude", to which Justice Duose asked "experts in what?


Mr Mpiani replied: "Experts in psychology and sociology to find out why the Ghanaian..I stayed in Nigeria for a short while and what I found about them was that if the Nigerian finds out that you have this, he would not say he would take it from you or bring you down, he would say God willing I will get there and surpass him, but the Ghanaian would say how did he get this, take it away from him irrespective of whether you went to a bank to pick a loan to get it or not.


"That is our attitude, I'm surprised and it's unfortunate.That's why I am saying maybe we need some experts to help us in exorcising this sort of thing from the Ghanaian society", he said.


Justice Duose had earlier warned the media to refrain from vindictiveness and personal attacks on individuals.


He maintained that the unprovoked vilification on innocent citizens doing their legitimate business by the media was a setback to Ghana's development, stability and peace.


This was after Mr Mpiani raised concerns about the prevailing atmosphere of suspicion in the country where "society looked at everyone with suspicion".

"A society that wants to pull everybody down cannot move forward", Chairman of the Commission said


Mr Mpiani said even though he was not against holding public officials accountable for their stewardship, "this attitude of looking at everybody with suspicion, my Lord, cannot, I'm afraid, move this nation forward. We cannot build a nation this way."


Justice Duose said: "I hope the press which is leading the campaign of vilification in this country has heard you well. As I sit here, they have started vilifying me. I'm going to sit here just for a short while but they have already started pulling me down."


He noted that the problems of Rwanda were caused by the media "and if the press wants Rwanda to happen in this country they will get it. Fortunately for them, in this country people don't kill journalists, so they are going on."


Mr Mpiani urged Ghanaians to be guided by the fact that "there is always a tomorrow." 23 Oct 09