NDC WILL BE KICKED OUT IF …….. AFAG WARNS MILLS

The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has assured all Ghanaians that it will work relentlessly to ensure that pressure is brought to bear on the Professor Mills-led administration to recoup monies that were fraudulently paid to the popular Financial Engineer, Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

According to Chairman of AFAG, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, though the NDC government claims that it has dragged Mr. Woyome to court to recover the people's monies, close monitoring of what the Attorney General's Department claims are efforts to reclaim the about $40 million, suggest that there are attempts to cover-up what has come to be known as the Woyome-gate scandal.

It will be recalled that when then Attorney General, Martin Amidu dragged Mr. Woyome to court for defrauding the State, he was immediately dismissed by President Mills for gross disrespect. It will also be recalled that Martin Amidu advised that the State Prosecution be overhauled as it had been compromised in the matter.

Dilating on their suspicions of a cover-up by the Mills government, Dr. Afriyie said since Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor assumed the responsibility of Attorney General, the Woyome case had been characterised by consistent adjournments, one of which occasioned the presiding Judge to warn the Prosecution of the possible dismissal of the case if they did not show any seriousness. “It is this attempt to cover up the Woyome thievery by top government officials that compelled Mr. Martin Amidu to call for a “Citizen Vigilante”, Dr. Afriyie said.

He chided appointees of President Mills for wasting state resources to prosecute Hon. Kennedy Agyapong on trumped-up charges, when the “Woyomegate” robbery which ironically was uncovered by Hon. Agyapong is left to be swept under the carpet.

The AFAG Chairman also renewed the group's call for the immediate resignation or dismissal of Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Dufuor, and Deputy Attorney General, Ebo Barton Oduro. He questioned their continuous stay in office at a time when comments by President Mills and the EOCO report on the matter, suggested that the two were criminally minded and irresponsible in facilitating the gargantuan payments to Mr. Woyome.

Dr. Afriyie assured all, that AFAG as a civil society organization would prevent the NDC government from using its political muscles to have the case thrown overboard, by exerting the necessary pressure on government, to guarantee a conclusive outcome of the case.

He warned that though AFAG had resolved to take a back bench role between the months of October and election day to allow for the political parties to do their own thing, they will be compelled to use all avenues at their disposal to ensure that they influence of outcome of the December elections, if it becomes obvious that the Mills/Mahama led government is adamant at covering up the Woyome Scandal.

“This is money belonging to the people of Ghana, and as a responsible civil organization with accountability in government as our focus, we will use all means, including campaigning against the NDC government, to ensure that the people of Ghana get their money back”, Dr. Afriyie said.

BY YAW P. K. MANU