Akufo-Addo's presidency not a transactional one - Abu Jinapor responds to Ken Agyapong’s allegations

In one of his trademark tirades on Oman FM in August 2017, Assin Central Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of superintending over corruption at the Jubilee House.

Kennedy Agyapong listed a number of persons he believed were corrupt officials working with the president.

Acting on an allegation by musician Kwame A Plus which later turned out to be untrue, Kennedy Agyapong stated that the two deputy chiefs of staff who had been alleged by the musician as being corrupt were not the only officials using the office of the president for their personal gain.

"Abu Jinapor and Asenso-Boakye are not the only two alleged to be involved in corrupt activities at the presidency, they are many others as well. When I started complaining about the president being surrounded by sycophants and corrupt people I had people calling me to stop making those allegations.

"I was there and these same people called me back to tell me that they wanted to have access to the president and they were asked to pay $20,000 there about before a meeting can be arranged between them and the president, why should it be so," he said.

Almost three years on, John Jinapor has moved from deputy chief of staff to a minister-nominee for Lands and Natural Resources.

He is however still being haunted by the claims made against him and his colleague Asenso Boakye who has also transitioned to become a minister-designate.

Abu Jinapor on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 faced the Appointments Committee of Parliament and was quizzed on the issue.

He intimated that President Akufo-Addo is a man of high repute and will not trade his reputation for money.

Denying the allegations by Kennedy Agyapong, Abu Jinapor said that no such thing happened at the presidency.

“President Akufo-Addo’s presidency and government is not a transactional presidency. Akufo-Addo is a man of integrity and he insists on that for all his appointees. At the presidency, the president will not superintend any such transaction. None of this happened to the best of my knowledge and the president will not permit it because he is there doing the work of Ghana,” he said.