Failure of NPP Government and the Special Prosecutor to Prosecute Corrupt Public Officials will Cost NPP Dearly

The successful materialisation of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the similitude of biblical Moses or David for Ghana will greatly depend on the fulfilment of his promise to successfully prosecute and convict public officials who have embezzled public funds and State assets in what may be called “causing financial loss to the State”. From my interactive communications with some undergraduates while in Ghana on holiday recently, some said without mincing words that they will not vote in the upcoming 2020 general elections. Their main reason hinges on two factors. Firstly, the NPP government has not been able to create enough jobs to absorb the unemployed and secondly, it has not even attempted to prosecute the alleged corrupt NDC government officials.

According to these students, their number one concern is about the government creating jobs for the youth and prosecuting the public officials who have illegally amassed wealth. However, they see the government as failing on both promises. Nonetheless, it was their belief in the capability of then presidential-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo and NPP prosecuting the corrupt public officials that made them vote for Nana Addo and NPP. I tried to let them understand that the government cannot create jobs for all the thousands of graduates coming out each year. However, the best the government can do is to create the enabling factors for individuals to become entrepreneurs, creating their own businesses or companies to employ people or to become vibrant self-employed. I told them that in the Whiteman’s country, apart from the public service, it is the private sector that creates the millions of jobs for the people that even attract foreigners like Rockson and others to proceed there to seek, but not to fleece, their greener pastures. Additionally, I made them understand the importance of the Chinese proverb. “If during an election the wise people choose not to go and vote, the foolish ones will go to the polls to vote to elect a fool to rule both the wise and the fools”. Therefore, it is incumbent upon them to vote one way or the other during elections.

Some made me understand they cannot vote for NPP again should they fail to at least prosecute the corrupt officials since official corruption is the bane of Ghana’s economic development, depriving many people of jobs and besetting them with financial hardships. They cannot vote NDC either because of former President Mahama, the openly believed but yet to be proven, most corrupt president in the annals of Ghana’s politics.

The NPP and the president should not assume that the introduction of the free Senior High School education, and delivering (on) other promises will be enough to quell the anger of many a Ghanaian. They will be happier to see the corrupt officials arse off in jail rather than having them sauntering on the streets still rich and powerful persons. Is it becoming the case of “you scratch my back I scratch yours” that is why more than two years into office the NPP government has not been able to prosecute, let alone, successfully prosecuting a single corrupt official from within the past or present government?

I know how the Special Prosecutor must get his facts and credible evidence 100% right before indicting any official to court. While still scrutinizing volumes of papers to get the evidence he needs to prosecute people, why can’t he for the meantime start with the double salary Members of Parliament? For these members, the evidence is there black and white that they have intentionally duped the nation. Or, it is not a crime to quietly accept double salary for the same job? Is their action not contrary to the stipulations in the nation’s constitution or any other law prohibitive of such an act of deliberately taking double salary for the same one job done?

I hope the NPP are not assuming that the people’s concerns no longer matter to them because they are now in power with some of them drawing huge salaries. What is hard about prosecuting the known corrupt officials? Can the Special Prosecutor not obtain vital incriminating evidence from the Accountant General’s Department to nail some of these corrupt officials?

I cannot understand for a day the fact Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the self-confessed swindler having duped Ghana of GHS52 million+ is still walking a free man without making any efforts to pay the money he stole back to the State. This renders the hullabaloos made by NPP to compel Alfred Agbesi Woyame spew out the money within weeks of coming to power if Ghanaians voted for them.

Many Ghanaians are more concerned about prosecuting and convicting the corrupt officials more than any other thing. This is because official acts of corruption are the woes of the economic emancipation and the prosperity of Ghana. Once the corruption is forced to stop, there will be enough money to develop Ghana, create jobs for people to better their living conditions.

Many government policies can run concurrently. While trying to realise the “One District One Factory”, “One Village One Dam” which for me are to be seen as long term visionary development plan, we can still be holding to account corrupt government officials both past and present.

I am admonishing NPP, especially their Executives not to think that concentrating on delivering on the free SHS education policy, payment of teachers and nurses’ allowances will be all it takes for Ghanaians to re-elect them for a second term come 2020. They had better understand the dynamics of Ghana politics where a satchet of sugar or two tins of Geisha or sardine can induce an electorate to vote for the giver of such gift.

I understand Sammy Awuku and Freddie Blay do not go to the party’s head office as it is required of them. Is it because they are now better off and may not give a hoot were NPP to go into opposition today? The NPP leaders or hierarchy have such a weakness and bad attitude of erecting impenetrable or impregnable wall around them once they come into power. That is not how politics is done! I do not expect them to dish out their pockets to give people money. No, that cannot, and should not, be done, but just to go to the office to perform their normal party functions.

Those of us that people can freely reach out to, please listen to what we say as it is the voice or concern of the people.

Let us see Hon Martin Amidu start to crack the whip now as it should not take him years to arraign at least the double-salary takers who as lawmakers should have known better or understood the

consequences of their actions if caught.
I personally don’t have much confidence in the competence of the Attorney General. She has not been able to successfully prosecute Alfred Agbesi Woyome let alone, the killer of the late NPP MP, J. B. Danquah (Hon).

Let the whip crack on the back of the corrupt government officials, oh Hon Martin Amidu!

Rockson Adofo