NDC Dares Govt

The Minority leader in Parliament Alban Bagbin (MP) has called for a forensic audit into the two-year administration of the ruling NPP government and the eight years of its NDC predecessor administrations to really determine which of them is guiltier.

Their claim is that president Kufuor’s two-year-old government has committed more blunders than the NDC did in its eight years in office. Bagbin told a press conference in Parliament in what they described as the true state of the nation address that his party stands superior to the ruling New Patriotic Party in all respects and challenged the social commentators and the government to a dispassionate debate on the two regimes.

“We are a better alternative and I can lead evidence to that effect anytime, anywhere, “ to show that the NPP administration has committed more blunders than the NDC. Presenting a 40-page paper, which covered almost every sector, Bagbin catalogued the “sins” of the NPP administration since it took over in January 2001 and described it as “disastrous, vindictive and deceitful.”

He said the government has abused the confidence and trust of all Ghanaians including even members of the NPP, some of whom he alleged had planned to go on a demonstration against the level of corruption in the Kufuor administration. Bagbin said he is reliably informed that the security agencies scuttled the planned demonstration but “the worse is yet to come,” he warned.

The minority leader accused the Kufuor administration of not being able to make good use of the goodwill it enjoyed from all, including what he referred to as “the vociferous Ghanaian private media” and the international community to move the country forward but engage instead in the vilification and disintegration of the main opposition party by going after former government officials.

Mr. Bagbin, also MP for Nadowli-North said, “The notorious truth is that the NPP administration has for the past two years consistently and systematically prosecuted a sinister agenda to disintegrate the NDC,” even though they claim to be apostles of democracy, rule of law and political pluralism. The minority leader accused the government of undemocratic practices, corruption and what he called procedural abuses and described the declaration of Zero Tolerance for Corruption a mere slogan.

“The real essence of the declaration is observed more in the breach than in its compliance.” According to Bagbin, the Zero Tolerance for Corruption now only “applies to political opponents while questionable deals and glaring malfeasance by the president’s own men are gleefully ignored or glossed over.”

He mentioned a “Sahara Deal”, a “Peugeot Saga” and “we now have the Mango Gate Scandal” in which contrary to established procedure and without reference to the Forest Plantations Development Fund Board, the minister for Lands and Forestry authorized expenditure of ?3.2 billion from the fund for the importation of Mango seedlings from Burkina Faso.

The contract for supply was awarded to Messrs AGROVETS Ltd. without going through due financial administration regulation procedure. “Despite the exposure by the media, president Kufuor has made no move to investigate the deal. The minister remains at post while Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata stands charged for exactly the same reasons,” Bagbin lamented.