Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Sulemana Braimah has accused the Nana Addo-led administration of failing to fulfil its 2016 campaign promises of fighting corruption, running a government devoid of nepotism and protecting the public purse.
Mr. Braimah in a Facebook post on Monday August 3, 2020 said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its leader in the run up to the 2016 elections appeared to be the solution to the country’s problems but has turned out to be the same as the previous government as the nation still battles with issues of corruption, nepotism and waste of state-resources.
He averred that the NPP government which promised to fight corruption has turned against those campaigning against the canker. He stated “in opposition, the NPP sounded and appeared like what Ghana desperately needed to end corruption and the misgovernance of our dear nation. In government, the NPP is not different from the NDC they criticized. The nation is still bleeding from corruption, nepotism, waste of resources, among others. In fact, instead of fulfilling the promise to fight corruption, they are fighting the corruption fighters.”
Citing the NDC as an example, Mr. Braimah opined that politicians only have knowledge of good governance and the developmental needs of the country when they are not in government. He said the NDC in opposition has suddenly appeared to understand good governance and have answers to Ghana’s problems after it presided over a corrupt government that enabled individuals to amass “ill-gotten wealth”.
While urging Ghanaians to speak against bad governance, he explained that independent and objective views on national issues would always side with that of the opposition because of the “persistent misgovernance of our nation.”
He added that “this is not because the opposition is any better. It is because those in politics know what is good for our country and how best to govern only when they are in opposition.”
The New patriotic Party (NPP) and its leader, Nana Akufo-Addo accused the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of corruption and nepotism promising a fight against corruption and a government devoid of nepotism prior to the 2016 elections. After assuming office in 2017, the Nana Addo led government has taken a number of steps aimed at fighting corruption including the establishment of the Office of Special Prosecutor and the subsequent appointment of Citizen Vigilante, Martin Amidu as head of the office which drew public commendation.
However, the government since the establishment of the anti-corruption agency has been criticized fiercely by CSOs and the main opposition party for failing to adequately resource the office to carry out its mandate. The government has also been criticized for shielding corrupt acts of its officials and attacking individuals who are fighting corruption.
The recent directive by the president to the Auditor General, Daniel Domelevo to proceed on his accumulative leave is seen by corruption crusaders and opposition parties as an attempt to stop investigations into the wrongful payment of $1 million to Kroll and Associates Limited by Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo.
The NDC also accused the president of running a nepotistic government after it listed over fifty individuals it claimed were relatives of the presidents.
