Govt will deal with substantiated allegations - JAK

Accra, May 18, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday said the Government would deal seriously with every substantiated allegation.

He, therefore, asked Ghanaians, who had made allegations against Government Functionaries to back them with facts and to lodge complaint with the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

"This is the test of democracy. The Government will not go wild goose chasing, but I assure Ghanaians that the Government will deal seriously with every substantiated allegation, " he said.

President Kufuor gave the assurance when he addressed a durbar of Officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces at Burma Camp in Accra. He said some of the allegations in the media and on the Internet were on corruption, nepotism, favouritism and cronyism about the Government and its functionaries.

"I want to assure you that as far as Governments go, it is no boast that this Government ranks very high in our Sub-Region and internationally, in terms of good conduct", he stressed.

President Kufuor said "on nepotism, I am alleged to have filled the Government with my relatives. This is a grave exaggeration because only two Ministers can be said to be family members and they are men of great distinction in their own right."

President Kufuor said with regard to his brother, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence, he entered into politics on his own volition and won his Parliamentary seat in 1996; 2000 and 2004 and, therefore, qualified as any other politician to be made a Minister. He said, "he is your Minister and I am sure you can attest to his competence, professionalism and dedication to duty".

President Kufuor said: "My brother-in-law, Mr Joseph Henry Mensah is a renowned Economist, who served in the Governments of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the Nation's First President as well as Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, Prime Minister of the Second Republic.

"He has served as Member of Parliament on numerous occasions and currently the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West. It would be very unfortunate to deny the nation the benefit of his wealth of experience simply because he is my brother-in-law", he said.

President Kufuor said: "Looking further down the scale at all those who are supposed to be my relations and you would realise that apart from the allegation not being substantially true, I have not put square pegs in round holes. Each and everyone appointed has been on merit and or experience."

He said, "much of what is being alleged is mere very vile propaganda obviously calculated to put breaks in the path of the Government".

President Kufuor, therefore, asked Ghanaians to trust in the competence and purposefulness of the Government and to continue to contribute their quota to the development of the nation.