President Akufo-Addo says despite some Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) fighting very hard against his re-election in the 2020 general elections, he’ll not stop listening to divergent views in his war against corruption.
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Speaking at a meeting with members of the anti-corruption coalition on Wednesday, President Akufo-Addo stated that he cannot fail to observe the partisan nature of some of the allegations of corruption and the involvement of some CSOs.
“There is something that none of us can overlook, the highly politicized atmosphere in which many of these allegations are raised in Ghana, in which some of the civil society organizations are privy to and complicity, Where the line between them being independent commentary and being politically related commentary is very very thin and in many cases, the lines are crossed.
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“Civil Society Organizations mounted campaigns to make sure that I did not continue to sit in this seat, I hear them continuing to attack my government and its works. Nevertheless, as I say when you are in this you are required to listen to everybody,” President Akufo Addo said.
Meanwhile, the leadership of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has called on President Akufo-Addo and his administration to take immediate steps to act on the findings and recommendations in the report of the Auditor General for the period ending December 2020.
The acting Auditor General of the Republic, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, released to the public his audit report for the period ending December 2020 on the Public Accounts of Ghana-Public Boards, Corporations and other Statutory Institutions.
The audit report was submitted to parliament of the 3rd of May 2021, pursuant to Article 187 (5) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 20(1) of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584).
Addressing President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House today the 18th of August 2021 when he led a delegation from the GACC to pay a courtesy call on the President, Nana Osei-Bonsu, Chairman of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, indicated that the Auditor General’s report shows consistent mismanagement and abuse of public funds over the years and government must take steps to deal with the vex matters in the report.
“The reports show that six different types of financial irregularities (cash irregularities, payroll irregularities, procurement irregularities, tax irregularities, stores irregularities and contract irregularities) continue to plague the nation’s finances. For example, the Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Public Boards, Corporations and Other Statutory Institutions for the year ended 31st December 2019 shows that the six forms of irregularities listed above cost the country up to GH¢608,670,447” Nana Osei-Bonsu said.
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“There is a more worrying picture in the subsequent report of the Auditor General, which is the “Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana-Public Boards, Corporations and other Statutory Institutions for the Year Ended 31 December 2020.” According to the Auditor-General, the total irregularities stood at GH¢12,856,172,626, higher than the figures recorded for 2019” the GACC Chairman added.
GNPC – Aker Deal
On the alleged leaked audio of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) planning to opposed GNPC’s quest to purchase stakes in Aker and AGM, Nana Osei-Bonsu, said that the GACC only sought to express some misgivings on the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC)/AKER Energy $1.1bn that has already received the green light from Parliament to proceed.
“Our underlying interest in this conversation is to help government fashion out a strategy that achieves government’s objective at the most value for money. Mr. President, we are not in any way opposed to increasing government’s stakes in natural resource ownership. It is our considered opinion that a pause to reflect and engage with citizens and other industry experts will shape your vision for the oil sector” Mr. Osei-Bonsu said.