The National Chairperson and flagbearer hopeful of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Nana Frimpomaa, has been in the news lately over some comments she made during the celebration of Ghana's independence.
Since those comments, there have been varied reactions to what she said, particularly concerning the kinds of oaths of allegiances public officials swear to.
But what exactly did she say during that visit to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra?
In an earlier report on GhanaWeb, it stated that Nana Frimpomaa had ostensibly said that should she become president, she will get public official swear water oaths before deities.
It has emerged that those not her words.
In a clarification shared with GhanaWeb, Nana Frimpomaa stated that when voted into the highest office as president, she will ensure that all public officers swear using a sacred oath of allegiance in addition to the existing ones that involve the Bible and the Quran.
She added that this will add to them becoming accountable to the public and the country.
“The sacred water oath of allegiance will be the pledge for every public officer. Currently, as we have it, when you have to be president in Ghana, you have to swear an oath of allegiance to the people of Ghana. When you look at that oath, it tells you to protect the Constitution, but in addition to that, you also say that you will be there for the people and that should you falter, the law should deal with you. This oath is similar to the one that is said by the parliamentarians, ambassadors who are going out to represent Ghana, heads of institutions, and board of directors.
“I am saying that it should be extended to everybody, including the customs officer, the teacher, the doctor, and every professional, as well as everybody who is a public servant or a public serviceperson who is trying to represent us and using our resources,” she stated.
Nana Frimpomaa added that the sacred oath of allegiance is in line with the traditional values of the country’s ancestors, which were used long before the arrival of the Bible and the Quran.
“Our ancestors are not evil people; you young people listening to me have been brainwashed. We have been deceived and lied to. There is a disconnect between us and what we say. We don't mean our words, we tell lies without any feeling. We swear without the Bible and the Quran, and they mean nothing to us. So we are saying that before the Quran and the Bible, Ghana worked, and we were loving people. If you open your door, nobody steals anything. You barely find thieves in the villages and towns. You could leave your farm produce, and nobody will take it. Today, it is a different story.
“People go into governance only to steal and make money to take care of their families and their children. To build and acquire wealth for themselves, our country will never develop with the corruption that we are facing today,” she added.
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