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Prior to the 2016 electioneering campaigns, former opposition leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, now the President of Ghana had bestowed upon himself the title- Anti-Corruption Crusader. He vowed that, he would fight corruption to the last drop of aged blood. By this disposition, he made many Ghanaians to believe that he could end our deadly romance with the monster called corruption in the country as a President.
He and his henchmen continuously criticised and bastardised the former administration under former President John Dramani Mahama as the most corrupt government ever existed in the history of the republic of Ghana after independence.
Therefore, to eliminate corruption and make the country automatically witness glory that no one had thought was possible in Ghana, was only for Ghanaians to kick the John Mahama’s administration out of power. They tagged the then President as frail and incompetent leader who could not prosecute people allegedly involved in corrupt acts especially members of his government and should therefore, be shown the red card.
Ghanaians applauded them. We did so, only imagining, the amount of public funds that have been stolen and squandered since the inception of democratic rule by too many public officers and their accomplices, and the great transformation that would happen to our infrastructure and our lives as citizenry if this organised banditry could at least be reduced by even 50 percent! So massive corruption and reckless leadership became their main campaign messages.
This was a man with so many apostles in white suites who claimed to be the David of our time to slay our tormentor, Goliath-Corruption. Here was a man at his 70’s who boldly looked into our faces and said he was never interested in the country’s resources, wealth or money but rather he was into politics to lead us to the promise land.
This was an old man, who literally went down on his weak kneels, begged Ghanaians including myself to just try him. Could we have a reason to distrust such a man at his age? Could we believe that a man at his age could look in the innocent eyes of Ghanaians and lure us with barefaced lies just to become a President to fulfil his childhood dream? No! So we felt for the cheap lies clothed in white garments and on 7 December 2016, we massively voted for him to take us to the promise land by slaying our aged long monster called corruption.
But 4-years on, has our Chief Anti-Corruption Crusader, divinely strong ‘David’ Nana Akufo-Addo come face to face with tormentor Goliath, Corruption? Of course, of course, of course, YES, in the sexy voice of our National Security Minister Mr Kan Dapaah. Are there any signs that our David is interested in fighting to end corruption in the country as David in the Bible boldly faced off with Goliath and slain him to set his people free? The answer sadly is a big NO! He has failed woefully and shamefully.
If this government led by our supposed Anti-Corruption Crusader turned President and Corruption, that he personally described as a cankerworm that must be knocked out, have ever been in the boxing ring since 2017, why have we not heard the referee announcing for the first round of action? Our empty speaking Anti-Corruption Crusader has rather been married off to corruption and they are currently producing multiple offspring at the Jubilee House. Our President has been mysteriously turned into a sexy nice looking woman and Corruption is now a man. That’s the sad reality!
Yet, in every speech of the tamed Anti-Corruption Crusader President at any national or international occasion, he still boasts of his government commitment to the fight against corruption and their willingness to be transparent and accountable to Ghanaians.
Now my problem and that of majority of well-meaning Ghanaians now is, has the President since winning power in 2016 December, taken a little time to re-read all his speeches during the electioneering campaigns, where corruption and public thievery became his only message against the then administration? This, of course was when he realised that alliance meant to defeat John Mahama had fizzled out. No! He has bothered not to do that. All such sweet-talking speeches were only aimed at becoming the president of Ghana. That was it!
It’s saddening that the seat of the Presidency has become the engine-room of naked corruption and thievery. It is therefore, sheer foolishness for him to continue lying to Ghanaians that he’s effectively fighting corruption, corruption that is alive and well and producing goodies and huge cash flows to his table. The old man who told us that he was not into politics to steal from our bleeding public purse is now benefiting from a brutal rape of the public coffers.
Is it not a shame that he and his false prophets impenitently continue to claim that his government is still committed to the fight against corruption? How can a government that is having raw sexual intercourse with corruption, damming the consequences turns to fight the same corruption? No! No government or institution can boldly fight corruption with soiled hands! Corruption under this administration has finally assumed the status of the cancerous disease and it is spreading like wild fire to every part of the government.
Truth is that, it has now been horribly compounded by the emergence and empowerment of a very dreadful class of people close to the president whose lavish lives solely depend on their ability to continue sustaining the culture of corruption and bleeding the nation pale to satisfy their desires. And this is happening in broad daylight under the breathing nose of the President.
Since President Akufo-Addo took over from the former administration, it has been a devoted competition of corrupt scandals of various degrees. There has hardly been a month without a massive corrupt scandal rocking the presidency. This has led to several of the government’s appointees bald-facedly looting the nation with utmost impunity. They’re doing this with the express support from the President’s right hand men so that they can all leave power with loads and incredible stacks.
This government, led by Akufo-Addo who declared corruption as a deadly cankerworm ripping the country’s resources apart, has allowed the emergence of an ever-swelling cult of looters, whose activities are now the undisputed headaches of the country.
The President who told Ghanaians that he was seeking to become president just for the love of the country and concern for its destiny and the fate of its people, is now sitting on illimitable accumulation of unearned wealth from corrupt acts. It has thus, become obvious that these current crop of leaders have overtaken their predecessors in stealing from the public coffers that the President lied to protect. Sadly, the Presidency has become great cult of corruption.
Ghanaians have now notice that the Akufo Addo of yesterday (2008, 2012 and 2016) is not the same today in power. Ghanaians now know that president Akufo Addo was not running on his own steam against corruption. Indeed, corruption has become their daily acts and he doesn’t care any more about leaving behind sterling legacies and a good name. Those have been thrown to the dogs. The dogs that cannot possibly be hanged.
Virtually majority of the President’s appointees, are engaged in massive corrupt acts with impunity hoping to leave power into boundless wealth. There is outbreak of mindless stealing going on everywhere. The very few among the President’s appointees who want to stay clean are messed up and kicked out by those who are more powerful than they are. Anyone who tries to stand up against the peace and stability of the entire corrupt cult in this government is dragged into a complicated situation that it would be difficult to extricate them and silenced forever.
The so-called anti-graft bodies that were very loud and powerful during the previous administration have all lost their voice. Why? Because they are afraid of being haunted. You cannot go after the evil deeds of this government and remains the same. No! Never! A government that is rather being led by a human rights activist? A human rights activist turned to a heartless and wicked dictator as President.
And this is the reason the cult of corruption has become a legal enterprising business in the history of the country. Today, president Akufo-Addo and his government have lost the capacity to feel ashamed. They’ve shown clearly that they are in power to serve themselves and make boundless wealth. I shall Be Back!
The writer is a Senior Journalist, Editor of The National Tribute Newspaper, a columnist with Ghanaweb.com, Modernghana.com and other online portals. He’s also an activist of the National Democratic Congress. Email contact; thenationaltribute@gmail.com
