‘This dog’ can’t be hanged over corruption – Akufo-Addo to critics

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has insisted he still stands by his inauguration vow to protect the public purse, indicating efforts by his detractors to tarnish his image and that of his family, will not wash.

“I’m aware that you give a dog a bad name in order to hang it but this dog [reference to himself] will not be hanged,” Akufo-Addo told his detractors who have been accusing him of corruption.

Nana Akufo-Addo took office as president on January 7, 2017 promising his government would protect the public purse which he and his New Patriotic Party accused the Mahama administration of mismanaging.

“I shall protect the public purse by insisting on value for money in all public transactions,” he told Ghanaians at his inauguration ceremony in Accra.

Public service, he said, is “not an avenue for making money,” and warned those wishing to make money to turn to the private sector as he warned his government would put in place measures to stem corruption which they accused Mahama and his officials of dabbling in.

But 18 months into his four-year term, President Akufo-Addo and some of his officials have been accused of engaging in corruption and his government has been criticized for some of contracts signed.

Nana Akufo-Addo was late last year accused of corruption following reports that some expatriates paid 100,000 dollars to sit close by him at the Ghana Excellency Business Awards (GEBA).

A parliamentary committee instituted on the request of the minority in parliament to investigate the issue concluded there was no merit in the allegations.

Again in the recently aired investigative documentary on corruption in Ghana’s football by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, embattled former president of the GFA, Kwesi Nyantakyi, claimed he could influence Nana Akufo-Addo and his vice with five and three million dollars respectively, to get juicy contracts for some investors.

The president and his vice who have since denied ever discussing contract deals with Nyantakyi, lodged a complaint leading to the arrest of Mr. Nyantakyi over allegations of influence peddling among others.

These corruption allegations, according to Nana Akufo-Addo, are only intended to tarnish his image.

“I want to say that the stringent and desperate efforts being made by my political opponents to tarnish me and my family with corruption will simply not wash,” Nana Akufo-Addo said on Wednesday while addressing the 2018 annual Internal Audit conference in Accra.

“I did not come to public life to make money out of public service, and members of my family know fully well they have to behave and are not involved in anything untoward,” he added.

He told the gathering that his vow to the people of Ghana to protect the public purse still on his mind and will need the help of the country’s internal auditors to help him in the fight against corruption.

“I came to renew publicly, the sacred vow that I took; to protect the public purse. I came also to acknowledge that this is not a battle I wage or win alone. There are many layers to the protection of the public purse and internal auditors are its primary defenders,” he stated.