We don't see anything - Kweku Baako asks govt to be courageous and ‘sit up’ against corruption fight

Renowned Journalist Kweku Baako Jnr has asked the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to have the courage to accept the challenge that "things are not going the right way and that things being done is insufficient in curing this corruption challenge.”

He has therefore asked government to 'sit up' if it wants to get rid of the corrupt perception tag.

"Government should sit up . . . if nobody is seeing anything it's as if you are doing nothing at all and you have to take the blame for that situation," Kweku Baako stated.

He said investigations and other issues surrounding corruption allegations take so long so 'it loses its value’.

Citing the Australian visa scandal, he wondered what was stopping the government from making the report public.

"People’s reputation are still at stake. There are people who don’t believe anything that has been said relative to the Deputy Minister (Pius Enam Hadzide). How do you cure that; make this report transparent; give us status report. That’s what you do. BOST is still out there . . .

"Make those reports public then if there are findings and recommendations seek to implement them otherwise the perception will remain a reality; indeed, it’s a reality virtually because nobody is seeing any action . . . PDS; people are asking questions especially relating to the revenue aspect; make it public . . . deal with it,” he intimated while speaking on Joy Newsfile programme.

RTI factor

The RTI (Right To Information) bill was passed by Parliament on 26th March 2019. It is to ensure that Ghanaians have access to information from public offices without any struggle.

However, a year down the line, nothing has been seen or heard of it.

Speaking to this, Kweku Baako queried: "The RTI act what happened . . . nothing is happening. The inertia is unacceptable; we don’t see anything; we don’t hear anything and when that happens you are killing the spirit of the RTI act."

" . . to be honest it’s a minus there; it doesn’t matter the good intention or efforts may be underway; we aren’t seeing the results so it’s a minus and government must be courageous to accept that and that will help in curing the mischief.”

"Same with the office of the special prosecution . . . where is the visibility, where is the transparency where is the product in terms of outcome. The galamsey investigation by tiger eye; it's been there; what is the status of that investigation; we don’t hear anything, we don’t see anything and that is a minus," he added.

Background

Akufo-Addo's government has been criticized for its inability to fight corruption as promised.

According to critics, there are a lot of allegations of corruption in the ruling administration that has received little or no attention.

The opposition NDC has accused government of sweeping corrupt allegations like BOST, PDS, others under the carpet.

" . . never in the history of Ghana have we seen this level of corruption and naked thievery like we are witnessing under the reign of President Akufo-Addo in the last three (3) and half years. Despite promising to protect the public purse, President Akufo Addo has supervised the biggest rape of the public pursue since he took office in 2017. This has led to a sad situation where millions of money, which should have gone into the provision of schools, hospitals, roads, potable drinking water, jobs and other critical investments in the productive sectors of the economy for the benefit of all Ghanaians, have been diverted into the pockets and bank accounts of a few selfish officials of the Akufo Addo-government, while the masses continue to suffer.

"Friends from the media, these acts of naked robbery and the coverup of same by President Akufo-Addo, as pertains to the PDS scam, is what continues to entrench President Akufo-Addo as the “Chief Clearing Agent” of corruption, who shields his corrupt appointees from punishment. This is why we have always maintained, that President Akufo-Addo is the biggest enabler and promoter of corruption in his government. Today, the incorruptibility tag he was clothed with by his party and some elements in the media prior to the 2016 general elections, has turned out to be a ruse which was presented to Ghanaians for votes and nothing more.

Ghanaians should not and will never forgive President Akufo for supervising this stinking PDS scam which has caused the nation a huge financial loss of over US$1.8 billion, and the numerous corruption scandals that has engulfed his government in the last three (3) and half years," the NDC said at a recent press conference.