General News of Monday, 16 May 2016

Source: tv3network.com

BBC’s bribery question was completely irrelevant – Akomea

Nana Akomea Nana Akomea

Communications Director of NPP, Nana Akomea does not appear impressed by a question posed by the BBC about bribery to President John Mahama.

The President was recently asked if he has taken bribe before, but he answered in the negative, not after a short repartee.

But Nana Akomea told 3FM/TV3’s NEW DAY on Saturday, the answer should have been obvious to the journalist: Mahama would not admit to taking bribe.

“There have been people who have been convicted and come out to say they are still innocent so you don’t expect the president to say yes. That question really was completely irrelevant”.

The NPP Communications Director is also not convinced President Mahama’s hand would be clean when it comes to corruption.

He further rubbished assertions by the president that he has not been directly involved in the award of contracts in the public sector.

“The president said he had never been involved in direct procurement and so he wasn’t in a position to be offered bribe. That statement will be taken with a pinch of salt by many Ghanaians because we know for a fact that, at least in one instance where he has directed that a contract be given to a particular company and so that statement is not entirely true.”

Nana Akomea observed that expectations of Ghanaians on the fight against corruption by the Mahama government have not been met.

“The president’s comments were that he was doing the best that he can to fight corruption but you see if you go onto the streets and speak to as many Ghanaians as you want, their main worry will be corruption. So he may think he is doing all that he can but expectations by Ghanaians from his government to fight corruption has not been met”.