You are here: HomeOpinionsArticles2007 06 10Article 125212

Opinions of Sunday, 10 June 2007

Columnist: Amankwah, Nana Kofi

Rawlings should declare his Income Tax Returns

The nation has currently emphasized the rule of government in transparency nothing to be hidden from the public. Rawlings and his families, however, have refused to tell the public where they secured the funds to buy these SUVs. He needs to provide his income tax report to the public. The nation is now demanding accountability from Rawlings to provide these records from his income tax from 2001 to 2006 to the public to justify his honesty. The aforementioned person has purchased some bulletproof SUV’s vehicle which he had previously indicated that these cars were gifts from on unnamed person. Even if we decide to take his word for it, he still needs to provide the names of such individuals who bought those vehicles for him on his tax returns. The only gift that one does not need to pay taxes on is your mother and father gifts, the rest should be tax deductible. The person whom Rawlings claimed that he or she purchased these vehicles for him also has to use it to file taxes. If such individual is in America we will find out through the Internal Revenue agency. There are circulations of information about his secret houses in Tracona valley in Accra, which he hid from public including their private accounts in South Africa.
Rawlings has unequivocally said to Ghanaians that he dislikes people who are corrupt against their nation. When this individual came to power in 1979, he said’ “I am telling you today that no single criminal, thief! Shall escape the wrath of the gods of the undergods of this country, be it a soldier, officer or civilian, be it a corrupt power hungry politician, businessman or thieving Lebanese”. These are some of the phrases he used that resulted in some former leaders to be executed for unjustified reasons for what he claims were crimes against the State. These individuals were murdered without due processes of law. Rawlings warned us, “If sections of any community should either stand in defense of or assist the escape of anyone, these inhuman nation wreckers, rivers of human blood will flow in the country”. Now Rawlings who has done all this to our leaders is not providing any accountability on his tax record to justify how he purchased those vehicles and paid his children’s education, their living expenses in Scotland, and England. He told Ghanaians that he has not owed anything but his wife who is on trial for acquired state property while Rawlings was the president. He must also provide his travel expenses to the media. These individuals could not see themselves as powers corrupters and greedy. Rawlings is multi billionaire and sole provider to finance his NDC party. Where did he get all this money? They believes this is nothing my fellow countrymen it is time for all Ghanaians to wake up and demand that the Internal Revenue publish Rawlings tax records to the media to know the facts. Those who die in the name of Rawlings accusation of corruption is demanding transparency of justice from him to prove a point that they actually did something wrong to deserve this. In his tax returns he should declare the number of household and income, dependents, during those years. If Rawlings is not able to provide theses information on his tax returns to Ghanaians, then those whom Rawlings murder should be brought back to life by John Jerry Rawlings. Those whose properties were confiscated by Rawlings, which many of his cronies like ET Mensah and others are now beneficial, needs to bring to justice. As he has proven to the world that he is strong man but that is not true, he is paranoia he should have the guts to prove where he got this financial assistance from. On the merit of possessing people’s property without the due process of the laws. The State must return all properties to their owners especially Mr. Swian’s Achimota brewery including the building that has been converted into the 31st December market. Injustice for those who have lost their property in the hands of Rawlings is injustice to every Ghanaian.

Form; Nana Kofi Amankwah (New York)

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.