President concerned about corruption- MP

Accra, Jan. 27, GNA- Alhaji Al-Hassan Malik Yakubu, NPP-Yendi, on Thursday said President Kufuor would not adopt a "revolutionary type of justice" in dealing with the issue of corruption.

He said all cases of alleged corruption would be "thoroughly investigated for sound evidence" to ensure justice.

Alhaji Yakubu said this when moving for the adoption of a motion that the house thanked the President for the message on the State of the Nation delivered on January 22.

The Member of Parliament (MP) urged the house not to conclude that the President had abandoned his zero tolerance for corruption since the issue of corruption did not feature in the address.

According to Alhaji Yakubu, the President's attitude to corruption must judged by the actions he has taken so far since assuming power. He urged members of the minority to adopt an open mind during the debate of the President's address since very important issues were raised in it, which affected every one.

He touched on the President's assurance that government would control spending in this election year and said this showed that nothing would be done for "political expediency" just for the sake of an election advantage.

Alhaji Yakubu said the government was committed to improving the economy, saying the recent improvement in the cocoa industry during the 2002/2003 cocoa season referred to by the President in his address could be attributed to the pragmatic policy being pursued by the government. He explained that the cocoa spraying exercise and the high producer price of the commodity were testimonies of the government's effort to improve the economy.

Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, NDC-Kumbungu, in supporting the motion, said the initial paragraph of the President's opening address of the State of the Nation, did nothing much to reconcile the nation because of its partisan nature.

"The State of the Nation must be a rallying point for Ghanaians...it must be inspirational," he added.

He said the address majored on the economy and did not address issues on social progress, adding that people were still reeling under poverty while local enterprises were suffering from excessive taxation.

On Security, Alhaji Mumuni noted that the Dagbon crisis had still not been resolved and called for the rule of law in all matters concerning security.

Mr. Kwabena Sarfo, NPP-Offinso South said the President's address showed that he was on course since he made mentioned of five priority areas to be tackled, which included infrastructure and trunk roads. Joseph Kofi Adda, NPP-Navrongo-Central, touched on the forthcoming elections and said the President had set a good tone by calling for peace during this year.

The MP therefore urged Ghanaians to mind their language and utterances to ensure that the country was not plunged into civil war.