You are here: HomeNews2007 11 07Article 133688

General News of Wednesday, 7 November 2007

Source: VOA (Petter Clottey)

NPP just came to loot the country - Wayo

( AUDIOaudio clip) The leader and founder of the opposition United Renaissance Party (URP) is blaming President John Kufuor's government for what he says is a failure to address endemic corruption that has recently gripped public institutions. Kofi "Nima boy" Wayo also says the government's lack of vision and moral ethics are preventing it from alleviating the suffering of the masses. He also promised to shock the country's two leading political parties in next year's presidential and parliamentary elections.

But President Kufuor's government dismisses Wayo's allegation as baseless and without merit. From the capital Accra, Kofi Wayo tells reporter Peter Clottey that the recent exposure of corruption contained in the auditor general's report proves him right.

"I have enough documentation to show that this administration came just to loot the country. I have been talking about this for a while and they would say bring evidence. Now, his own auditor general has come out to show him (President Kufuor) what the hell is going on, and he doesn't care. But see, they are causing the poverty of the people. You know, they get aid from the United States, European Union and all that stuff, but they do very little for the people," Wayo said.

He said the government is just paying lip service to the people, while they show what he describes as opulence.

"I know them. They know that the people are illiterate. You know there is no civic society here so they just say that. They don't care because the people do not demonstrate they are docile. They got no water, no light. As I'm talking to you now, the lights went off. There is no social protection at all.  They give the people nothing except they buy the most highly powered cars from Europe and United States and they parade themselves around," he said.

Wayo said the president should be at the forefront in the fight against corruption in the country. But lamented that even if you have proof of corruption, there is no way to make your case.

"Who are you going to present it to? The president told you in 2003 in Cape Coast that corruption is normal. He said people come to him to give him bribes, but he tells them to come back later.  The security forces don't get paid well. They are busy trying to survive. Nobody pays attention to the constitution. Human rights is not even respected that much. But we pray that civil war doesn't break out. That's about all," he said.

Clottey Interview With Kofi Wayoaudio clip
Listen to Clottey Interview With Kofi Wayo audio clip