President Akufo-Addo more 'wicked' than Nebuchadnezzar - Kweku Boahen

Deputy National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kweku Boahen has likened President Akufo-Addo to the biblical King Nebuchadnezzar over the Auditor-General's proceed on leave saga.

"President Akufo-Addo is more wicked than Nebuchadnezzar . . . how can you connive to take out of office this transparent Auditor-General all because he has refused to allow you misuse state funds?" he rhetorically asked.

In a heated argument on UTV's 'Adekye Nsroma' newspaper discussion programme, Kweku Boahen indicated that he is yet to see a President like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who is so much interested in money and power than human lives.

He said Akufo-Addo ever since he became President has involved himself in lots of corrupt practices in line with his governance duties and in view of this has made every effort to get rid of the Auditor-General who he knows is very fair and transparent in uncovering corrupt practices in government.

He continued that it is in this regard that he has asked the Auditor-General to proceed on all his accumulated leave to pave way for him to redress his corrupt practices in government now that he has realized his party will loose the 2020 general elections.

Proceed on leave

The President of the Republic, HE Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, has directed the Auditor-General, Mr. Yaw Domelevo to proceed on his accumulated leave of one hundred and twenty-three (123) working days effective July 1, 2020.

In a statement signed by the Director Of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, he explained that the President's decision to direct Mr. Yaw Domelevo to take his accumulated leave is based on sections 20(1) and 31 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), which apply to all workers, including Public Office holders such as the Auditor-General.

Mr Domelevo, in a statement dated 03, July 2020 and addressed to the Presidency said, tenets of the country’s law flaw the President’s directive to him, to take a mandatory 132-day leave.

He suggested that the directive was made out of bad faith and was resultant of his work which was ‘embarrassing government’.

Rejoinder from Presidency

A rejoinder from the presidency, however, seeks to deny same, attributing Mr Domelevo’s response to the ignorance of the laws related to the subject.

Meanwhile, the Office of the President has extended the leave period of the Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo from 123 days to 167 effective July 1, 2020.

Nebuchadnezzar II

The Bible remembers Nebuchadnezzar as the destroyer of Solomon's Temple and the initiator of the Babylonian captivity. He is an important character in the Book of Daniel, a collection of legendary tales and visions dating from the 2nd century BC.

He was the longest-reigning and most powerful monarch of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.