GII challenges Mahama over corruption

Executive Secretary of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Vitus Azeem is challenging President John Mahama to deal with officials who are involved in alleged corrupt activities at the nation’s youth employment agency.

Investigations by Joy FM’s Manaseh Azure Awine exposed some officials at the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), formerly known as the National Youth Employment Agency (NYEP), as having been involved in systemic rot and plain stealing.

It also revealed persons found to be guilty had been indicted by the National Security in its own report, but the officials had been left off the hook.

Mr Azeem says the president is under obligation as head of the country to protect public resources, therefore he must ensure those resources are used for the benefit of the masses.

The anti-corruption campaigner was speaking in an interview with Manasseh Azure.

According to him, “The president is the head of this country…and anything that has to do with public affairs [should concern him].”

“He has the moral obligation, he has a social contract with Ghanaians, he promised Ghanaians that he was going to deal with corruption ruthlessly and this is what we expect of him”.

Mr Azeem insisted President Mahama must do all he can to ensure that officials who have been indicted in this matter are prosecuted and to “recover the monies that have been taken [and] to let the law take its course.”

“Whatever goes wrong,” Vitus warned, “he [the president] will take the blame” because “he has the responsibility to ensure that public resources are properly used”.