John Kumah, a spokesperson of NPP Young Patriots displaying documents as evidence of corruption at the news conference. With him are Asamoah Gyamfi, Hopeson Adoye, Nii Kwatei Titus Glover (covered by paper) and Yaw Adomako Baafi.
Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu
Thursday July 4, 2011.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Young Patriots have accused President John Evans Atta Mills of presiding over what they call “massive corruption”.
The group said the President had failed to check the menace even though he promised to “treat corruption within an arm’s length”, when he was in opposition.
According to the pressure group “there appears to be official corruption, impunity and abuse of power in the administration of ceased cars at the Tema Port” and have urged President John Evans Atta Mills and his Vice John Dramani Mahama to act swiftly to nip corruption in the bud.
At their second ever news conference in Accra yesterday which forms part of their effort to “Let the people know” about the way the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is running the affairs of the country, the group discussed exhaustively what it called “Corruption, impunity and stealing at the Tema Port” with the media.
John Kumah, a spokesperson of Young Patriots who was arrested recently by the security agencies for making unsavoury remarks about the President, said in 2009, 24 vehicles put on the wanted list of Interpol arrived at the Tema Port and were separated from other vehicles put under custody of the Golden Jubilee Terminal pending investigations.
“Before investigations could be completed, a number of these vehicles were gazetted. The confiscated vehicles committee then proceeded to allocate these vehicles to some individuals with leanings to the NDC.”
He said in May 2011, after investigations on the said vehicles had been completed the National Security issued a directive for the vehicles to be released to their original owners but strangely the committee rather put up for sale through a gazette notice No 13 of Friday June 10, 2011, depriving the original owners of their toils abroad.
According to the group, a man called Joseph Bediako a known NDC activist who once worked at the Tema Port under the notorious Carl Wilson was able to throw more light on how the cars were allocated alleging Mr. Bediako claimed “five (5) of the vehicles were allocated to Alex Segbefia, a Deputy Chief of Staff at the Castle; another five (5) to officials of CEPS and the remaining 14 allocated to officials at the Office of the President.”
Mr. Kumah said Ghanaians are being deprived of their legitimate properties as due process continues to be due to be thwarted with cars being allocated to officials and cronies of the government without recourse to the law.
He said it has become clear the strategy that the ruling NDC is adopting to silence business entrepreneurs who are perceived to be sympathizers of the NPP saying “innocent business people who are helping to bring down high unemployment rate are being victimized using state institutions and agencies.”
“When Kufuor said he wanted evidence to be able to act on allegations of corruption then Professor Mills cried foul and insisted that he would act on the least information but what is happening now?” adding “corruption allegations against appointees of this government are mostly leveled by their own party members and this is where President Mills need to check it.”
Richard Nyamah, another spokesperson said some NDC appointees and activists are using state power to deprive hardworking Ghanaians of their toil and sweat saying “this is daylight robbery. President Mills must act swiftly without delay.”
“Cars confiscated are allocated to NDC members and when the victims complain, they tag them as opposition members.”
Asamoah Gyamfi who is the Acting Chairman of the Young Patriots said President Mills by his silence in spite of ‘massive’ corruption in his administration is “being hypocritical because he was the same person who reprimanded CEPS officials for under-cutting but those right under his nose he fails to take action against them.”
Yaw Adomako Baafi; a member said “what we are revealing today is just a tip of the iceberg because we have many more cases of corruption against NDC appointees under President Mills and as the days go by we will let the public know about it.”
“Ghanaians are now discerning to separate truth from propaganda and lies and we will never make allegation and not substantiate it.”
Nii Kwatei Titus Glover, another member said corruption under President Mills has become “unthinkable” and it was time to put the President on the “litmus test” on issues of corruption.
He said the cars confiscated by the NDC authorities are sold cheaply at a time when the original owners are prepared to pay the right prices for the cars.
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