'I have defeated him four times' — Linda Ocloo jabs Prof Kpessa Whyte over 'paid award' claim
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, has dismissed claims that she paid to receive an award, taking a swipe at critics questioning the credibility of the recognition she recently received.
The minister was adjudged Best Regional Minister at the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours held on Saturday, June 6.
The comments come after Professor Michael Kpessa-Whyte, Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), alleged in an opinion editorial that the awards scheme required prospective recipients to make payments before receiving honours.
According to Prof Kpessa-Whyte, he was approached by the organisers and informed that attendance to receive the award was linked to either a sponsorship package worth GH¢50,000 or the purchase of a table for eight at GH¢25,000.
"Out of caution, I advised my staff to contact the organisers and seek clarity. It was only then that we discovered that attendance at the event to receive the supposed honour was tied to payment.
"The options communicated were either a sponsorship package of GH¢50,000 or the purchase of a dinner table of eight at GH¢25,000," part of his write-up stated.
Reacting to the allegations on Accra-based Asaase Radio on Monday, Linda Ocloo said she had little interest in engaging the SIGA boss on the matter, suggesting his comments may have been influenced by personal grievances.
"I will not even allow you to talk about Prof Kpessa-Whyte... I have defeated Prof Kpessa-Whyte four consecutive times, and so if Prof Kpessa-Whyte felt at a point that because I was recognized, he wants to tarnish it, then that is his own issue," she said.
The Shai Osudoku MP questioned the basis of the allegations, arguing that several prominent personalities and public officials were honoured at the event.
"Are you telling me that all the people who received awards paid money before they were recognized? Are you saying that the Director-General of the National Service Authority paid for it before she was honoured? Are you saying that the chiefs and other dignitaries who attended paid before receiving recognition?" she asked.