Under fire Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has tendered her resignation letter to the Presidency.
In the letter dated July 22, 2023, Ms. Dapaah said her decision to vacate her post is due to ongoing public discussions about huge sums of monies that she had allegedly stashed in her home.
While denying that the amounts she kept in her Abelemkpe’s residence, which have allegedly been stolen, are as huge as being reported in the media, the minister noted that “I am very much aware of the import of such stories around someone in my position”.
She added that “I am resigning therefore because I do not want this matter to become a preoccupation of government and a hindrance to the work of government at such a crucial time”.
Ms. Dapaah indicated her readiness to fully cooperate with state agencies to probe the matter, adding that “I have no doubt whatsoever that at the end of the processes, it will be fully established that I have conducted myself with integrity during my period in public service and I will be fully exonerated from all the allegations that have filled the public domain in the past 24 hours”.
The Sanitation Minister has come under fire following revelation that she stashed a million dollars, hundreds of thousands of Euros and millions of Ghana Cedis in her Abelemkpe’s home.
The revelation is contained in documents filed at an Accra Circuit Court.
The court heard that an amount of $1 million, another amount of €300,000 and millions of Ghana Cedis as well as other items belonging to the minister and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour have been stolen from their Abelemkpe residence.
The accused in the matter being heard before the court are 2 house helps – current and a former – and 3 others.
The two are said to have conspired and stolen the monies stashed in the minister’s home between July and October, 2022.
The main suspect, Patience Botwe also allegedly stole assorted clothes, Kente clothes, handbags, perfumes and 6 sets of men suit valued at tens of thousands of Ghana Cedis and thousands of US dollars.
They subsequently used the spoils to acquire properties including houses and gave some to the 3 other suspects.
The minister was said to be oblivious of the ongoing theft until when her husband caught their house help hiding in their room.
The maid was said to have burgled the room in an attempt to steal more but had to hide behind the door when she sensed Mr. Osei Kuffuor entering the room.
The revelation has sparked concerns over the source of such huge amounts of money, with many calling for her resignation and an investigation into the issue.
While some are asking President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to fire her, the Minority in Parliament want her to resign on her own volition.
