I rejected Mahama's ministerial post - PC Appiah Ofori

Ghana's anti-corruption crusader, Paul Collins Appiah Ofori, has hinted that President John Dramani Mahama tried to influence him by offering him a ministerial and ambassadorial appointment, but he rejected the offer.

According to the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, President Mahama, upon assumption of office early this year, even before he appointed his first batch of ministers, called him to his office at the Castle and made him the offer.

Mr. P.C. Appiah Ofori said the President wanted him in his government as a minister/ambassador to help fight corruption in his administration.

The anti-corruption crusader dropped this revelation during an interview with Ark FM in Sunyani last Friday when he was called to state his views [ on the caution issued by the President to his appointees to guard against corruption.

He told the host, Kwame Adjei Bohye that taking the ministerial/ambassadorial position would compromise his stand on corruption, hence his refusal to take it.

Moreover, he explained, if he took the ministerial position, he would become a lone voice in the government and that could lead to his early sack from the Mahama administration.

When quizzed about the particular ministerial portfolio that the president wanted to give him, Mr. Appiah Ofori said the president did not mention it since he (P.C.) did not express interest in taking up any position in the NDC government, especially when He was not a member of the party.

He claimed that when he rejected the ministerial post, President Mahama then indicated his desire to appoint him as an ambassador, which he also declined.

According to Mr. Appiah Ofori, he rather promised the president that he would help the government by exposing corrupt practices among ministers and other government officials for the president to take punitive action against the culprits.

He however asked the president not to let his call on the fight against corruption be a mere rhetoric as happened during the time of his predecessor, the late President Prof John Mills.

Mr. Appiah Ofori disclosed that he did some work for the late president on some corrupt deals but the latter failed to act upon it, thereby institutionalizing corruption under his rule.

He said the demeanor of President Mahama gave a clear indication of his desire to fight corruption in his government and therefore expressed his intention to help him so as to eradicate corruption in the country.

In his view, the fight against corruption should be led by the head of state of the land since Article 35 (8) of the 1992 Constitution clearly states, "The State shall take steps to eradicate' corrupt practices and the abuse of power."

"If we get a head of state that faces the fight against corruption seriously, then Ghanaians shall find ourselves in paradise on earth," he said.

He however noted that a corrupt head of state would always cover up for his appointees when they engaged in corrupt practices.

Mr. Appiah Ofori commended President Mahama for warning his ministers and appointees that he would hold them responsible when something went wrong at their ministries.

"If you want to eradicate corruption, then the ministers should be held accountable and those found corrupt must be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others," he pointed out.