Gladys Asmah Goes Wild

Gladys Asmah FORMER MINISTER for Fisheries, Gladys Asmah, is all set to slug it out with Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, in a legal battle over claims that the latter had referred to her as a common thief who had illegally acquired government vehicles.

In a related development, former ministers who served under the Kufuor Administration yesterday visited their wrath on Mr. Ablakwa and warned him over his choice of words.

“We would like to advise Mr. Ablakwa on his choice of words; it was just a few days ago that he was grovelling before the Appointments Committee, apologizing left, right and centre for his comments and choice of words.

In the spirit of his apologies, he was approved by consensus. We wish that Mr. Ablakwa does not forget that ordeal so soon,” the ex-ministers noted at a news conference yesterday.

Madam Asmah, speaking at the news conference, said she was lacing her boots to head for the courts because she could no longer tolerate the continuous harassment, embarrassment and defamation of character being meted out to her by operatives of the Atta Mills government, especially when she was completely innocent of the criminal charges being levelled against her.

Mr. Ablakwa recently held a news conference on behalf of government during which he alleged that some former government officials including Gladys Asmah had criminally kept 18 official government vehicles and that he was giving such persons up to the end of last week to return the said vehicles.

“After their press conference to tell the whole world that I have stolen government vehicles, they put that allegation on the internet and now, people are calling me from all over and asking me all sorts of questions...

Yes I would be going to court because I have not taken a single government vehicle,” she told DAILY GUIDE.

An enraged Gladys Asmah noted further that due to this same car issue, her residence was recently invaded by seven men, five of whom were from the office of the National Security, headed by Col. Larry Gbevlo Lartey, a Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) officer and a Policeman.

“They descended on me in my house and said they had been sent to bring five government vehicles from me; five vehicles from me? ...I told them that they are very funny because if they had checked their records, they would have realised that I have no government vehicles.

“I asked them if I was keeping the said vehicles in my deep freezer and when I showed them documentation to the effect that I had returned the two vehicles I used when I was a minister, they themselves started grumbling that why then were they made to travel all the way to my place,” Madam Asmah disclosed.

She produced receipts and documents to show that all two vehicles she used in her official capacity as minister had been returned to the current administration.

The news conference was to respond to an earlier warning from Mr. Ablakwa that former ministers who served under the Kufuor-led administration must return 18 official government vehicles which they were illegally keeping or be prepared to face punitive sanctions.

The deputy Minister for Information also alleged that each of the said vehicles had a street value of between US$40,000 and US$50,000 but they were undervalued and sold to the ex-ministers at very ridiculous prices with some as low as GH¢21,000.

Nana Akomeah, a former Minister of State who read the statement on behalf of his colleagues, rubbished the claims by Mr. Ablakwa and explained that by convention, public officials could exercise the option of buying their official vehicles at the end of their service and that over 80 officials who served in the first two terms of the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration were on record as having bought and gone home with the cars they used.

Nana Akomeah said a number of ministers who served under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) opted to buy their official vehicles as provided by the convention and were in the final process of acquiring the vehicles when the new administration halted the procedure in January.

He said from January to date, there had been various episodes of car-snatching from bigwigs of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) by certain elements of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under circumstances quite unacceptable by law.

Normally, occupants of such vehicles were usually asked to get down and hand over the car keys and in other situations, the residence of the NPP big-shots were besieged and the cars towed away in the full glare of the public.

The statement said the former ministers were completely taken aback by the recent directive and allegations of government.

He explained that ex-government officials, in exercising the option to purchase their vehicles, like former NDC officials did in 2001, were in communication with government and had reached different stages of the process, until a directive was issued by the government's Transition Team for them to hold on with negotiations until further notice.

“It therefore came to us as a surprise for the Deputy Minister, Ablakwa, to issue an ultimatum for us to return our cars. It was totally out of the blue,” he stressed.

“The car Mrs. Amoako Nuamah was using was a 2000 model but she was allowed the option to purchase it and she paid GH¢800.00 for it,” he disclosed.

Hon. Akomea also dismissed claims that the cars the NPP officials purchased or were negotiating to purchase were undervalued, saying they were sent to the appropriate state institution, the State Transport Corporation, for the valuation to be done.

He found it ridiculous that government would rather prefer a valuation to be done by an individual stationed at the Castle, Osu, and whose independence could be compromised.

Mr. Akomea also wondered how government was able to revalue cars that were still in the possession of ex-appointees.

“On January 20, 2001, government had concluded with this list of cars and concentrated on serious business; but in 2009, five months on, we are still talking about cars,” Hon Akomea lamented.

He concluded : “If it is the wish of government that it would deny NPP ex-officials the option ex-officials of the NDC had enjoyed in 2001, let it say so clearly...If this is the case, former ministers are prepared to return their vehicles and have their refunds”.

Former Ministers of State present at the news conference included Hajia Alima Mahama, Felix Owusu Agyepong, Asamoah Boateng, Kofi Osei Ameyaw, and Cecilia Dapaah, among others.

By Halifax Ansah-Addo