President mahama is on course

It gives me great pleasure for the opportunity to reiterate the government’s and for that matter H.E. President Mahama’s commitment and resolve to deal with corruption comprehensively. I refer specifically to the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) corruption saga.

It must be noted that, the decision to form a five-member Impact Assessment and Review Committee was a cabinet one, with the full blessing of H.E The President. There was neither an external pressure nor any prompting from anybody to do so. Credit must therefore be given to President Mahama for the initiative to instigate investigations into the activities of GYEEDA.

Secondly, when the issue came up, people were sceptical that there was going to be any action. In spite of the massive propaganda that absolutely nothing would happen, the committee was eventually formed and inaugurated publicly. This means the step was taken without any malice aforethought.

I recall that, whilst the committee’s work was ongoing, our detractors claimed it was a charade. Even when portions of the report were leaked to the press, government insisted that the final report will be released. Owing to the voluminous and complexity of the committee’s report, the president tasked the P. V. Obeng team to thoroughly study it, which they did expertly and issued an action paper in a form of a roadmap to implementing the recommendations. Eventually the final report was published publicly and has since been in the public domain.

After the full unedited report was published, President Mahama directed the Attorney General and Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to take immediate action. So far, as part of EOCO’s investigations, 15 people who were implicated have been invited. Their statements were taken and they were granted bail. Some of them, including Osborn Dyeni, Omar Nyamiya, Robert Lartey, Peter Anderson and King George Fokuo were detained.

Significantly, every single service provider including Zoomlion, RLG, Asongtaba, Zeera, Better Ghana Management Services, New Vision, to mention a few has been invited to write statements as part of the investigations. Some of them are on bail. No one is shielding or covering up for any of the parties involved. Indeed, both EOCO and the Attorney General have requested for all the documents used by the working committee and copies have been painstakingly done and nicely packaged for delivery to them.

As a matter of fact, as the current Minister of Youth of Sports, I have been grilled for three hours as witness and my statement has been duly taken. No one is been spared in this thorough ongoing investigations. The Attorney General and relevant agencies are leaving no stone unturned to get to the bottom of the case for the benefit of our dear nation.

As far as institutional changes are concerned, the President has appointed no less a person than a former Deputy Minister of State, Hon. Kwabena Akyeampong to spearhead. He reports directly to the President through the Chief of Staff, since the President wants to keep his eye on the ball. This certainly shows how H.E. The President is serious and committed to GYEEDA. While investigations and legal processes go on, Mr. Akyeampong’s mandate will include seeing to strengthening the institution by establishing systems that would prevent the perpetuation of fraud in future. Eventually the proposed systems will go to parliament for the appropriate legislative environment to be created. What again can you ask for?

After all, we are in a constitutional era and rule of law and due process must be respected. There is precedence for situations where contracts were cancelled with indecent haste and the consequences were calamitous. Indeed I painfully recall that, after rushing through the processes with regard to the Ghana @ 50 scandal, not a single pesewa was retrieved for the state although the case was later referred to court. Today, there is a whole Judgment Dept Commission and we are witnesses to the startling revelations. There is a threat to auction AMA’s asserts. Examples abound and we don’t have to repeat those mistakes.

In as much as there is the temptation to ‘take action’ hastily for political expediency, we are being guided by having the national interest at heart, hence our resolve to follow due process. Meanwhile, some of those who shout the loudest and claim government lacks the commitment to fight corruption have no shred of moral right to do so. Their corrupt activities and their shameless attempts to either endorse or cover up are still fresh in Ghanaians’ minds.

The good people of Ghana have given the President their mandate and President Mahama will not let them down.

Signed: ELVIS AFRIYIE-ANKRAH

[Minister for Youth & Sports]