Mr Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said the biggest problem Ghana faced was dishonesty.

He said there was a growing dishonesty in the country that made people believe there was corruption.

Mr Aseidu-Nketia told the GNA in an interview that there was information in the public domain that the sale of Merchant Bank was an attempt to sabotage Ghanaian workers and deprive them of their property and said this was wrong.

He dismissed linking the sale to the NDC, President John Dramani Mahama and his family and said the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) was set-up to use the contribution of workers to invest and use proceeds from the investment to pay workers who retire.

He said SSNIT had done a lot of investments with the aim of making profits to meet its pension targets.

Mr Aseidu-Nketia said it became apparent that SSNIT was losing its investment in Merchant Bank and that was one of the reasons why it sold its shares in the Bank.

He said the Bank was distressed because 25 companies owed it and the majority of these companies had links with the New Patriotic Party.

Mr Aseidu Nketia said the loan to Engineers and Planners was granted in 2007 and the company acquired it on merit.

“If the loan was acquired by political influence then it was the mother of Mr Ibrahim Mahama, the President’s brother, his uncle Dr Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe both founding members of the NPP, the former Chief of Staff, Mr Kojo Mpianim and the then Finance Minister who was the Chairman of the Board of Merchant Bank,” he said.

He said Engineers and Planners never benefited in any way from the NDC government under late President John Atta Mills and President John Dramani Mahama.