CPP UK Calls on State Agencies to perform its duties

We, the Convention People's Party, United Kingdom and Ireland region, express our deep concern regarding Ghana's State Agencies' inability and unwillingness to investigate and prosecute corrupt officials in society and government.

Recently, Manasseh Azure-Awuni, former Journalist of the Year and a member of staff at JOY FM, investigated alleged corrupt deals between the disgraced former Sports Minister, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, the operations committee of the Brazil 2014 World Cup, Samuel Ledo, Chief Procurement Officer at Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and E-volution. They were mentioned as beneficiaries of the one million-cedi contract given by the Sports Ministry and GNPC to E-volution, an events management company. Azure-Awuni has published his report citing various corrupt activities between these State officials and E-volution.

According to Mr Awuni's published report 100,000 (one hundred thousand) cedis were paid to Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Ghc100,000 paid to the World Cup Committee and Mr. Ledo received 80,000 (eighty thousand) cedis as Public Relations (PR) by E-volution, the company that 'won' a one million-cedi contract to provide services during the 2014 World Cup.

Following the allegations about the involvement of these government officials in corrupt practices, the CPP calls on the State Agencies to muster courage to sanction them.

Trust in the work of State Agencies has been significantly diminished recently, due to their poor performance in fighting organised crime and corruption, especially at high levels; prime examples being GYEEDA, SADA, SUBAH, CHRAJ Boss etc.

The allegations of corruption published recently are a tremendous blow to the trust the public have in this government and the Ghana judiciary system.

With such lack of trust and credibility, the state agencies, particularly Ghana Police and BNI and the whole national justice system will find it very difficult to convince the citizens of Ghana that they are working for the rule of law if they fail to investigate these allegations.

Further, we are deeply concerned about reports of pressure exerted by government officials against State institutions and journalists not to investigate these allegations of corruption.

If these reports are proved true, they would present as gross violations of media freedom and human rights, violations unacceptable to organisations that support Ghana on the path towards self-reliance.

The return of public trust and credibility, as preconditions for the proper functioning of the Police and the BNI, can only take place when all these allegations and reports are immediately investigated in an independent manner, and appropriate measures taken against all those who have committed violations.

God bless Ghana

God bless CPP

Kwame Nkrumah-Agyapong
www.cppuk.org