Corruption Perception Can Sink Akufo-Addo’s Gov’t – Franklin Cudjoe

The Akufo-Addo government may pay dearly in the coming years if nothing is done to correct the perception being created in the minds of Ghanaians following the numerous corruption allegations that have been leveled against the New Patriotic Party administration.

The first year of the New Patriotic Party’s administration has been rocked by a number of corruption allegations including the BOST contaminated fuel scandal, allegations of corruption by A-Plus against the two deputy chiefs of staff, allegations of conflict of interest against the Finance Minister over the issuance of a Bond, and recently the allocation of GHc800, 000 for the creation of a website for the Special Development Ministry.

According to Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI, such perceptions may sink the Akufo-Addo government if pragmatic measures are not put in place immediately to correct the impression of corruption against a president who promised to protect the public purse.

Speaking on Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, Franklin Cudjoe noted that, Ghana’s political landscape thrives on “a lot of hot air and a lot of allegations,” adding that due to this, despite the good things done or being done by a government “what tends to happen is that, allegations of corruption actually swells at some point, and swallows the government irrespective of how well they are doing.”

“And I think if care is not taken, in spite of the yet to be proven allegations of corruption within this [NPP] administration, it is the perception of people that may eventually sink the administration if they don’t take care. That has been the trajectory in this country. In instances where they’ve even been proven…you end up having government appointees defending what I call the indefensible. So for me, the perception is what we really need to be dealing with. Unfortunately, with corruption, perception seems to be the reality,” he added.

Mr. Cudjoe made the remark when panelists on The Big Issue were reviewing President Akufo-Addo’s first year in office.

He noted that although the macroeconomic indicators look good, “If they [NPP government] don’t take care, these allegations of corruption which incidentally are mostly emanating from their own camp are the ones that will sink them.”

GHc800,000 website row

There is currently intense pressure from the Minority in Parliament for the Minister of Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson, to resign following revelations that her ministry intends to blow GHc800,000 on the creation of a website.

Her Ministry had requested for about GHc1 billion to undertake a number of projects including warehouses, boreholes, procurement of ambulances and vehicles, among other things.

But the GHc800, 000 budget request for the creation of a website has caused public uproar, with the Minority accusing the government of negligence.

False corruption claims will not distract us 

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in responding to these accusations of corruption which he described as attempts to tarnish his government, said they will not be distracted by the claims.

He feels there have “been systematic efforts to try and tag [his] government with corruption.”

Speaking at at Kyebi during his tour of the Eastern Region, the President stressed that attempts to falsely accuse his hardworking officials of corruption will not deter him from carrying out his mandate.

Nana Addo’s appointees showing signs of corruption – Rev. Martey

This comes on the back of an observation made by former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey, who said some officials of the NPP administration, are already showing signs of corruption.

The man, who blatantly criticized officials of the erstwhile Mahama administration for being corrupt and having mismanaged the country, appears to be turning the heat on the Akufo-Addo administration.

Source: Citifmonline