Appiah-Ofori backs Rawlings on corruption but...

Ex-President Rawlings entirely blamed the uncontrollable trend of corruption in Ghana on his successor, Ex-President Kufuor, but former Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Hon. P.C Appiah Ofori is begging to differ on the issue of corruption.

He faults all successive governments, including Mr Rawlings’s administration, for not doing enough to fight the canker.

Former President Rawlings, on his submission on World Anti-corruption Day on Monday, accused his successor, J.A Kufuor, of monopolizing corruption during his two-term tenure in office between 2001 and 2009.

“The difference between John Mills and Kufuor is that Kufuor was so autocratic; they had used the military, and the police to subjugate the spirit of the people that he was the only one who could do corrupt things plus his family and those he would allow, and he would jail anybody else who did not have his permission to be corrupt, so there was a way in which his regime looked orderly because nobody else could engage in it except himself or gave you the permission”, he opined.

But the anti-corruption crusader, speaking on Hot Fm, averred that though there is some truth in Mr Rawlings’ assertions, his (Rawlings) failure to link his (Rawlings’) administration to the successive governments who failed to effectively deal with corruption in the country has dent his submission.

“...Rawlings spoke the truth about corruption, but he should not have attributed it to John Kufuor’s administration alone because his (Rawlings’) administration as well as the late John Mills and John Mahama have recorded chunks of corruption cases which is getting out of hand”, he stressed.

The outspoken NPP leading member posited that with the current policies surrounding our natural resources, fighting corruption will be almost impossible because the implementers of those policies have been designed to enrich the individuals in the helm of affairs rather than the state.

He stressed that continuous misuse of state funds generated from the sale of the state mineral resources has forced the country to resort to borrowing from foreign countries.

To him, until the country elects a noble President who will deal with graft devoid of political affiliations, the fight against corruption will just be another lip service.

Asked who he thought had the right persona to deal with corruption in the country, Hon. Appiah Ofori said the late President Mills could have done better if death had not laid its icy hands on him. He however added that currently, he sees Nana Akufo-Addo as the only person with zeal to lead an effective crusade against corruption.

“…..as a matter of fact, the President I thought could do well in fighting corruption was the late President Mills, but unfortunately he did not last that long to do it… Now the person who I believe can deal with corruption effectively and I have so much confidence in, is Nana Akufo-Addo……I went through his records when he was the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice in the Auditor’s General report, and I didn’t find any act of wrongdoings…..same thing happened when I checked on him when he was at the Foreign Affairs Ministry; Nana Addo will make sure that anybody who works under him behaves well and punish offenders… and I believe this put the fear of God in the country and deter others,” he opined.