Former Member of Parliament for Nantong Constituency, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed has described President Akufo-Addo as a ‘perfector’ of political corruption.
Quoting aspects of the State of the Nation Address delivered to Parliament on February 8th, the Deputy Trade Minister under the erstwhile Mahama administration chastised President Akufo-Addo for spinning the truth with regards to investigations against his appointees.
“…President Nana Addo is not the one who started political corruption. What he has done, is that he has perfected it. He has perfected political corruption. That is what he has done…” said Murtala.
There were claims by Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central that a number of appointees at the seat of government were corrupt as he argued that some persons demand bribes in return for jobs while claiming that others were extorting monies from people who want to meet the President.
“At a time when we’re told that the seat of the President is the citadel of corruption, at a time when these statements are made by no less of persons than leading members of the government that you need to pay $20,000 to $30,000 before you have access to the president; suddenly they came through their incompetent communicators by telling us that no, that issue has been investigated," said Murtala.
He continued to add that “...the investigation that was done had got nothing to do with the allegation of people paying $20,000 to $30,000 to have access to the President. The investigation had to do with the allegation that was made that involved two banks at Korle Bu. Nobody investigated the allegation of the $20,000 and $30,000 gate fee…”
Addressing a group of National Democratic Congress members and enthusiasts gathered in the Kwabena Nketia Conference room at the African Studies Department of the University of Ghana on the theme; ‘The True State of the Nation’, Mr. Murtala Mohammed accused President Akufo-Addo of being ‘neck deep’ in corruption allegations in the Bulk Oil Storage Transportation making reference to writings by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure.
“…Manasseh wrote in his folder that the President was neck deep in covering up the thievery at BOST. And that the President and Manasseh says that information he had gotten from people closer to the President indicated that the President personally reprimanded the Minister for Energy for even attempting to set up a committee to investigate the thievery at BOST. I am making reference to this because ever since Manasseh wrote that thing, no member of government including their brigade of incompetent communicators raised a finger against what Manasseh has written” he alleged.