General News of Friday, 29 November 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

EOCO vs Auditor General: Where is the voice of IEA, IMANI, others – Aseidu Nketia

General Secretary of NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia play videoGeneral Secretary of NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, (NDC) has alleged ‘hypocrisy’ against some anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations in the country with regard to their inconsistent mode of operation under different governments.

He argued this while reacting to the ongoing controversy between the Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelovo and the Economic and Organised Crime Office.

According to Johnson Aseidu Nketia, renowned anti-corruption CSOs after leading the battle to arm the office of the auditor general to fight corruption, have now become silent ever since Mr Domelovo came under attack for chasing key government officials over corruption.

“In fact we were in this country, it took a group of civil society anti-corruption organisations to go to Supreme Court for interpretation of the powers of surcharge of the auditor general, and indeed the supreme court ruled that the auditor general had that power to rule and they felt that power will be very useful in our fight against corruption,” he recounted.

He continued, “When that power was used against certain people everybody was clapping for them. Now the power [is] used against somebody, they call a wrong person and now everybody is quiet. All the civil society groups known to be doing corruption seminars, anti-corruption seminars left right and centre - IEA, CDD, IMANI are quiet. In fact, the process in the court was led by IMANI Ghana.”

Mr Nketia said he expected these anti-corruption bodies to boldly and openly defend the auditor general in this critical moment as they used to do in other situations.

“Where are they? Why are they not talking when the power they have given the auditor general…is being frustrated?...Where is the voice of the IEA today, Where is the voice of IMANI?” he queried.

The NDC stalwart laid his sentiments bare while speaking in an interview on GHOne TV’s State of Affairs, Thursday, November 28, 2019.