Corruption, abuse of incumbency threatens Peace Pact - NPP

A pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) group, the Young Patriots, says the mere fact that flagbearers of the various political parties needed to sign such a peace pact is an admission that the state structures supposed to deal with matters of security have failed the country.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the leadership of the group in Accra on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, eight flagbearers of the political parties contesting the December polls signed what was termed as the Kumasi Declaration where they pledged to ensure that there is peace before, during and after the election.

But the Young Patriots in the statement said “it’s first and foremost an admission that the state structures supposed to deal with matters of security have failed so to do. Secondly, it is an indictment on the President that for the first time in our political history we need to do something dramatic to preserve the peace.”

According to the group the only way the Peace Pact will be functional is for the security apparatuses to deal decisively with the cases of corruption in the country.

“For the signed Peace Pact to work, there is the urgent need for the under currents to be comprehensively dealt with and for us the young patriots, corruption and abuse of incumbency are the two major factors.”

The group said: “the wanton dissipation of the nation’s resources and the profligate life style of the President and his surrogates at the expense of social interventions schemes set up by President Kufour can only lead to an unpleasant end if this continues.”

Read the full statement below

CORRUPTION AND ABUSE OF INCUMBENCY A THREAT TO THE PEACE PACT The young patriots wish to use this opportunity to congratulate the leadership of all the political parties and the independent candidate for jointly signing the peace pact now termed “the Kumasi declaration” yesterday. The peaceful nature of the Ghanaian was on full display and it is our belief that the elections will be peaceful but we hope it shall be free and fair.

The mere fact that we needed to sign such a peace pact at this stage of development of our democracy however, reveals more than meets the eye. It s first and foremost an admission that the state structures supposed to deal with matters of security have failed so to do. Secondly, it is an indictment on the President that for the first time in our political history we need to do something dramatic to preserve the peace.

For the signed peace pact to work, there is the urgent need for the under currents to be comprehensively dealt with and for us the young patriots, corruption and abuse of incumbency are the two major factors. The wanton dissipation of the nation’s resources and the profligate life style of the President and his surrogates at the expense of social interventions schemes set up by President Kufour can only lead to an unpleasant end if this continues.

Dear country men and women, the attached photos are some pieces of evidence of corruption by the President and party members who are using their position to amass wealth and to put up houses and buy flashy cars. Mr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Mr Bernard Allotey Jacobs and, not surprisingly, the President himself, in the name of probity and accountability need to explain to the Ghanaian people how they managed to put up these mansions in the last four years.

We will be very grateful if the President can answer himself and also direct the others to answer to him and the people of Ghana as to how they put up these mansions in the last four years.

Please note that the President has other mansions in various locations including the one next to his brother Ibrahim’s at airport residential, others are at Tabora Alhaji, Ada.

Ladies and gentlemen, President Mahama on the matter of corruption again failed the people of Ghana on the fraudulent purchase of 5 aircrafts including the Embraer 190. The President’s inability to respond to Mr Martin Amidu’s accusation of complicity in the purchase of the said aircraft is indicative of his lack of moral courage to deal with corruption because he is neck deep in it. Please note that Mr Amidu has put across names of the members of the committee that former President Mills put together to investigate President Mahama on corruption in the aircraft deal to include Mr William Aboah, Mr George Amoah and Brig Gen Allotey.

The President’s silence on this matter is deafening. As we are all aware the committee never got to work and we will want to know why? Was the President aware of the existence of such a committee, if yes what has stopped its work and if no why has he failed to deny the accusation. The integrity of the President is at stake and the earlier he finds the moral courage to answer to these the better for his image and the image of the government.

Fellow Ghanaians, on the matter of abuse of incumbency there has been a deliberate policy to cripple every social intervention scheme introduced by President Kufour and diverting the funds into party and private pockets. It is the aim of the NDC to impoverish Ghanaians so they can turn round and give us hand outs so we can be grateful and vote for them.

Please note that total public debt by 2008 was GH¢9.1bn and as at July 2012 it rocketed to GH¢28.3bn as at July 2012, accumulating over GH¢18bn in less than four years. In terms of expenditure, between 2001-2008 total government expenditure was GH¢35bn but between 2009-2012 July our expenditure has shot to GH¢45bn. The question is what has Ghana got to show for this? Collapsed NHIS, collapsed school feeding, caput capitation grant, and a youth employment programme which can no longer pay its workers and this is in an oil economy.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, please note that payments of the salaries of employees of the NYEP has been farmed out to a private company which is taking a huge interest beyond the current bank rate on such payments though they have failed to pay the employees.

Whilst state institutions and structures are collapsing under the weight of no funds, the NDC party, its foot soldiers and members of government are bloating up. Before the 2008 elections, the NDC as a party could not pay the rent and utility bills of some of its party offices. Today, they can afford to build a $20 million ultra modern party headquarters.

Fellow Ghanaians, Ghana is revisiting the dark days of ‘fa wo to b3gyi Gulf’ of the 70s ,when Gen Acheampong’s government distributed VW Gulf vehicles to women for sexual gratification. In President John Mahama’s Ghana today, it is ‘fa wo to b3gyi Atta camboo’ where university girls are given free branded John Mahama Hyndai i10 for their votes and who knows what else?

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah and Mr Abeiku Santana, both seasoned journalists have become the main distributors of these vehicles, monies and other goodies. Mr Ampofo Ankrah with his MOVEMENT FOR MAHAMA and Abeiku Santana using the YOUTH FOR MAHAMA have all distributed several branded John Manaha Vehicles on the various university campuses.

As things currently stand, voters, depending on their sophistication are being given anything between GH¢10-50 each whilst others are given all kinds of materials.

The Young Patriots want to call on all Ghanaian youth to take note that they are worth more than an i10 or a piece of cloth. We urge everyone who is given anything in exchange for their vote to first and foremost collect the items as evidence for vote buying. If you wish, please keep it, for it the taxes you pay that is being given to you as a gift.

The youth of this country have a date with destiny on 7th Dec, 2012. We can choose the path of change for a better and prosperous Ghana or choose to stick with the old evil dwarfs and greedy bastards who are feeding fat on our sweat. We urge all you the youth to vote massively for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo for visionary and transformational leadership.

Thank you very much and God bless our home land Ghana. Signed Richard Nyamah