2020 polls: NPP managed to obscure corruption with free SHS – Tony Aidoo

Corruption is not being discussed ahead of the 2020 elections the way it did in the lead up to the 2016 polls when the Mahama administration was in place because the present New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has been able to dictate the discussions with the free senior high school (SHS) programme, a former Ghana’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Dr Tony Aidoo has said.

Dr Aidoo said on the Key Points programme on TV3 Saturday, December 5 that there have been several corruption-related cases that have plagued the Akufo-Addo-led government. However, he said, these cases have been thrown into the bin by the president.

He told host of the programme Abena Tabi that the “NPP has been remarkable in getting these matters obscure with the propagation of free SHS.”

He added “The number of corruption cases that have characterised this government far outweigh the number that characterised previous administrations.

“To the extent that you are running a family and friends government, you are encouraging corruption” because they cannot correct themselves.

“This is shameful,” he said.

The former Senior Presidential Advisor added “The least Ghanaians expected is the president allowing the investigative bodies to investigate them and not to clear these people themselves. But as I said they have been obscure by the propagation of the free SHS programme.”

Reacting to his comments on the same programme, Managing Director of the State Transport Company, (STC), Nana Akomeah said the sentiments expressed by Dr Tony Aidoo is an indication that corruption is not an issue for the electorate ahead of the 2020 polls the way it happened in the previous general election.

“That sentiment by Dr Tony Aidoo portrays Ghanaian electorate as ignorant. To the extent that they are not discussing corruption means it is not an issue to them. Nobody is manufacturing free SHS to obscure anything.

“Corruption was a big issue for them under Mahama.”

He further stated that the president has acted properly on all the corruption-related issues that have come out by referring them to the appropriate authorities to deal with.

“It was the president who put his foot down to cancel PDS against the wish of the almighty America,” Nana Akomeah said.