Anti-corruption crusader and the former Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GI), Vitus Azeem has added to the growing list of critics who estimate the Akufo Addo administration to be the most corrupt so far in Ghana’s 4th Republic.
Vitus Azeem has represents the global Transparency Initiative group for years, says President Akufo-Addo has completely failed at fighting crippling corruption as he promised before he was elected as Ghana’s president in December 2016.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM in an interview observed by Whatsup News, Mr. Azeem says even though corruption has been increasing over the decades, the Akufo Addo administration bursts the charts with countless cases of corruption despite being in office for less than three years.
“People voted because the President had promised that he was going to tackle corruption head-on, so he raised our expectation. So, in my observation, he has failed because he may be personally incorruptible but he appoints people who do things wrongly but he has not done anything about it. So, he cannot be exonerated from blame. I think he has failed,” he said.
Mr. Azeem sees the dismissals and suspension of appointees of Akufo Addo fingered for corruption as “mere political gimmicks”
He says: “People are sacked, others are suspended but what really is the basis? There are halfhearted measures that he takes. And that doesn’t discourage anybody from engaging in corruption. You see what is happening and you begin to question if they are serious actions or they are just taking it because people are making noise. If you decide to do something then you have to do it seriously. Why must it take him too long for him to get the lawyers and investigators to do their jobs.”
A few weeks ago, a peeved founding member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Nyaho Tamakloe described the Akufo Addo administration as the most corrupt in Ghana’s history.
“The level of corruption under Akufo Addo’s government is the worst ever in the history of Ghana and if he doesn’t take care, there’ll be a civil unrest under his leadership just like the revolution that happened in the North of Africa,” Dr Tamakloe told Atinka FM in an interview monitored by Whatsup News.
The maverick Dr Nyaho Tamakloe was reacting to the apparent attempt to shield Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) who was recently caught red-handed for reportedly planting his private company to intercept juicy government contract for onward sale to faceless companies.
Last week, investigative journalist, Manasseh Awuni Azure premiered a damning undercover documentary that tracked A.B Adjei’s company called Talent Discovery Limited (TDL) which was securing an incredible number of mouth-watering contracts from multiple government agencies, despite lacking any visible track record having been registered barely two years ago (2017).
After the exposé, President Akufo Addo quickly suspended Mr Adjei much to the disappointment of critics who were expecting an outright dismissal and investigations that would have led to prosecution.
Shortly after the PPA debacle, another scandal broke out at the National Youth Authority where its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri was caught arbitrarily giving a GHC 4.5 million contract to a company belonging an alleged acquaintance.
Shortly after the exposure, President Akufo Addo ordered termination of the appointment of Asigri and two of his deputies. Curiously, their appointments were terminated with a clause for them to go claim their juicy end of service benefits.
The relatively young administration of Akufo Addo has been cited for multiple reports of corruption by his appointees. Indeed, some groups have tabulated an unenviable list that tops more than 100 cases of perceived corruption from appointees of the Akufo Addo administration.
The list includes the latest US$ 500 million Power Distribution Services (PDS) scandal which has been linked to the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and some powerful individuals at the Presidency.
Other scandals that have still not been fully settled comprises the AKER/AGM Energy deal that has reportedly robbed Ghana several millions of dollars for individuals linked to the government.
Other scandals include: a questionable US$ 3 million settlement to energy company Springfield, by the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company is overseen by the recently resigned Managing Director George Oakley.
Additionally, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) was recently engulfed in allegations of graft when its then CEO Gifty Klenam and her two deputies were caught sharing company cash and reportedly drawing hefty clothing allowance from GEPA six months after they had been sacked by the President.
Also, a Presidential staffer, Charles Cromwell Bissue was recently caught in an undercover report showing him facilitating illegal mining activities.
So far no prosecutions have been handed out to the named culprits as President Akufo Addo earns a tag as the “Clearinghouse” of corruption for his seeming soft stance on reported offenders.