30th June 2004 will be remembered as a sad day for accountability in Ghanaian politics for it is the day that the NPP government stopped pretending that it cherishes accountability in our politics and finally buried it.
The whole country and indeed the International community had waited for weeks for the chaos and confusion surrounding the CNT $300m loan to be finally lifted. Instead we have had a debate in Parliament which has amounted to nothing more than a spectacle in self preservation and self interest.
Ghana?s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning ? Hon Yaw Osafo-Marfo and the Minsiter of Trade and The President?s Special Initiatives, Hon Alan Kyeremanten, had yet another opportunity to lift the doubts and uncertainty around the NPP Government, the opportunity to restore credibility to the office of Finance Minister and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP), and once again they have failed to do that.
Despite overwhelming evidence of a lack of proper ? due diligence? on this loan or Suppliers Credit, despite categorical proof of numerous anomalies, despite unprecedented confusion and despite a total lack of confidence in the persons/corporations behind the deal, The NPP government and members of Parliament have decided to ignore the yearning by most Ghanaians that this agreement should be rescinded.
Even more disturbing is the fact that no further explanation or information was provided and no additional clarification document was tabled before Parliament. No strategy has been put in place to restore confidence about the agreement.
There comes a time when a government must listen to the whisperings of a people, there comes a time when a government must obey the will of the people, and this Government ignores the plea of its people at its own peril because come December we believe they would pay a heavy price for a shameless abandoning of government accountability on this issue.
It is not too late even now however for the government to change its mind or to put in place satisfactory measures to restore confidence on this deal.
The UK Secretariat of the CPP will gladly offer to assist in any due diligence re-assessment of UK company involvement in this issue
Yours In The Service Of Ghana?s Democracy
Nii Armah Akomfrah
Chairman CPP ? UK & Ireland
